What have we learned post COVID about our workplace? For those lucky enough to continue working remotely from home, it’s the relief of not having to fight traffic back and forth from the office. That’s no small win.. this is a huge stress saver. For most, it’s still dressing professional from the waist up while we can be comfy from the waist down in sweatpants or shorts.
But what happen to human interaction and how it effects work efficiencies and personal relationships? There are a lot of pros to working remote vs office interaction. Meetings are more effect time wise. You can get more work done remotely than in the office due to interruptions. Some positions have a flexible schedule, so if you have a doctor’s appointment during the day, you don’t need to schedule time off, you just make up the time/work later in the day or week. The biggest pro is the work life balance that we have all been missing out on for a healthy, mind and body.
On the other hand, there are several cons to remote work. The biggest con is the lack of personal connection and comradery. No office lunches or special touches. No water cooler conversations, that actually help with solving project issues. There are also two types of remote workers – those that work much more since the work computer is now at home and those who don’t do enough since they are not visually seen during the day. With that being said, employers by now can very much see in the work results if a remote person is not getting their work done and taking advantage of the situation. And lastly, we tend to be so isolated that we’d rather be alone than in a large group. This is one of the reasons many have turned to social media to stay connected.
So if we don’t get out to go to work, how do you meet new friends? How do you meet a future spouse? Is the only time remote workers leave the house is for grocery shopping or doctor appointments? Even those can be done from home – shopping apps and telehealth. Both which have made our lives more efficient.
The new choice? Fitness…. Going to the gym or going for a walk/run… you need to go out and leave the four walls of your home. Attending church brings a whole body of people together to celebrate. Holiday or community events mean much more. It’s up to you how to make the best choice to fit your lifestyle to live your best life!
