‘Work from Home’ is the concept that the corporate world became familiar with during the COVID pandemic. Even though there is a debate about how it will impact productivity and creativity, it has still become a norm. There are many benefits to WFH, like flexibility, cost, and time-saving on commuting.
While the world is still recovering from the pandemic, an increase in vaccination rates led to the re-opening of offices. Apart from WFH, the hybrid working arrangement was also adapted by many companies.
Let us discuss the pros and cons of both WFH and Hybrid working arrangements. This way, you will also understand better what may work best for you.
What is Work from Home (WFH)?
Working from home means you will not be required to travel to the office. You will have to fulfill all your assigned duties from your home, sitting at your dining table, or in a coffee shop. You are not required to make a physical attendance at the office. In WFH, the company may or may not provide you with a desktop/laptop.
Benefits of WFH
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- The flexibility of working hours
- No need to travel to the office
- Less rigid office schedule
- Saving time and money required for regular commutes
Key benefits of #WFH:
1) The 70 minutes saved per day (60 minutes from no commute, 10 minutes from less time getting ready)
2) More flexibility to set your own scheduleThis is particularly valued by women, highlighting how WFH can promote workforce gender balance pic.twitter.com/dwEV9IvezE
— Nick Bloom (@I_Am_NickBloom) March 11, 2022
Drawbacks of WFH
WFH is not just a bed of roses; here are some drawbacks:
- Loneliness
- Gap of communication with colleagues
- Internet issues causing major hindrance at work
- Expected to work on weekends
- No proper office setup leads to lesser productivity
WFH works best for those living far away who want flexible working hours.
What is Hybrid Working?
The best Digital Marketing Agency in India prefers a Hybrid working model as it is a perfect combination of work-life balance. It involves the employee going to the office for an entire week and at least one day working remotely. It was the workers’ most preferred form of working arrangement during the pre-pandemic situation. The employees liked this working arrangement as well because it strikes the perfect work/life balance.
About 90% of respondents in the country said #hybrid working made them happier, while 89% of employees felt time away from the office had improved their work-life balance. #WFH https://t.co/S2nkPcnMIu
— The Hindu (@the_hindu) April 28, 2022
Benefits of Hybrid Working:-
- It lowers isolation
- Increases productivity
- It enables effective collaboration with the colleagues
- Perfect work/life balance
- Reduces the overhead costs for employers
- Lesser traveling to work-place
Drawbacks of Hybrid Working
This working arrangement also has it’s share of drawbacks:
- Remote employees will be at a disadvantage
- Increased reliance on technology
- Potential Burnout of remote workers
Having that said, Hybrid working works best for employees who want the flexibility of remote working and the culture of an office setting.
Great mantras to navigate #AcademicLife successfully and healthily!
I realized that despite the drawbacks of #wfh with kids, having to go outside for at least 1 hour a day has made a huge difference to our #mentalhealth https://t.co/cyqdtb9oV1— Jolande Fooken (@ookenfooken) May 22, 2020
Conclusion:
Now that you know how WFH and hybrid working set-up works, it is up to you which works best for you. This may depend on individual circumstances, things the employee has to offer, and how you feel about the WFH set-up?
Hopefully, both the pros mentioned above and the cons of the working model will help you solidify your decision.