Remote work is on the rise. More companies are creating opportunities for employees to work from wherever they like, as long as they are able to deliver the same work had they been in a more traditional office set up. And it’s exciting! Who doesn’t love the idea taking control of your own time, in your ideal comfortable space? But we understand that jumping in the water might worry some who are more used to their old routines, and that adjusting may take time. It’s true, remote work may not be for everyone. So we’re here to help you figure out if remote work is right for you.

What is remote work?

It is simply being able to work (whether part-time, full-time or as a freelancer) without the need for a shared office, and through the help of online communication tools.

Remote work is different from the option to “Work From Home” like some companies offer. In the Philippines, for example, the signed Telecommuting Act states that companies who offer their employees the option to work from home provide the same benefits as one who opts to work from the office. This, however, does not mean the same as “Remote Working” where employees (whether in a company, or self-employed) are based completely, or mostly, out of office.

How does it work?

Depending on the rules set by the company, remote work can mean many things.

For some companies, it means being online for a particular time of day. This means you have to be reachable at any time within the agreed upon time frame, whether to communicate, report, or deliver a certain task.

In certain companies, it means clocking in a certain number of hours in a day or in a week, at your own pace.

For others, it simply means being able to submit all the deliverables at an agreed upon deadline and communicating from time to time.

If you are an entrepreneur and exploring the idea of remote work, you can design your own parameters based on the nature of your company. Those were just a few examples of set ups that you can explore.

Remote work makes use of online tools to track the work. This can simply mean email, or this could be more specialized ones like Slack, Google Apps, Discord, Asana, Trello and many others. Again, there are so many set ups to explore. You may find that some tools or a combination of certain ones work better than others for the type of work that you do.

What should I expect?

Here are just some of the many advantages of working from home:

• Having more time to yourself. No more having to wake up hours earlier and going through the commute to and from work. With the extra time, you can focus on other things like working on yourself, spending time with family, or simply more rest!
• No extra costs. The daily commute and being out-and-about can mean being more susceptible to temptations of buying stuff like expensive coffee, lunch-outs, and after-work beers.
• You get to design your own working space. Whether it’s at home or a coffee shop, you get to choose where to work and where you can feel most productive.
• You get to travel. And not have to file for leaves!
• No office stress and drama. If you’re just not one to participate and engage in office drama, or if you get easily affected when your co-workers get stressed, this can be avoided altogether!
• Overall health and quality of life improved. With more time to yourself, for example, for exercise, meditation, family time, or self-improvement, both your physical and mental health can be improved. You also now have the option to eat in more often, allowing you to watch what you eat.

However, there are also a few disadvantages to remote work:

• Distractions. When you know that people won’t be able to tell that you can always reach in for some Netflix time, or when the bed gets a little bit too tempting – this can be a bit dangerous to your productivity.
• Loneliness. If you are an extrovert and love being around people and taking in other people’s energies, this can be one of the biggest things you have to adjust to. Remote work gives less room for deep talks and chit-chat. It could also mean having less people to relate to when work gets too stressful. And it’s true that there is comfort in that.
• Work delays. Sometimes, your teammates can be the ones who are distracted and this could delay some work. Whereas in the office, you can easily set up meetings and brainstorming, or approach someone for help, this can be more difficult in a remote work set up.
• Misconception from others. It’s not uncommon to get judging looks when you tell people that you do remote work. For some more traditional people, this can seem like you are lazy or what you’re doing isn’t real work. It can be tiring to explain sometimes, so you have to be ready for it.
• Less sense of “belongingness”. Being in an office can be fun when you can participate in office activities such as team lunch outs, birthday celebrations, company milestones, etc. This creates a warm feeling that only a close community can bring, and you might miss it when you work from home.

Now that we’ve given you the gist of what it’s like to work remotely, you can get a sense of what to expect and if your personality and job preference fit the bill. Don’t worry about trying it out, too, or exploring your options. There are many ways to go about it so don’t feel discouraged if it seems daunting or if you’re not quick to adapt to change.

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