Do you prefer working remotely or on-site? What are the pros/cons of both for you?

Laura Vasquez
19 replies

Replies

Renia Rigopoulou
Hey there- I started working remotely last June as head of product management. It has been quite an interesting experience so far with lots of ups and downs. BAD NEWS FIRST: THE REASONS FOR NOT WORKING REMOTELY - Loneliness. You might definitely feel disconnected from the company sometimes. Personally, moving from an office of 2k people to working from home and being by myself, it was a huge change. One of the most recommended way to fight this is to work in co-working spaces or quite coffee shops. - When u work from home, being responsive on the chat is the same as being on time at work in an office: it gives an image of reliability. If you do not really want to give the impression that you are taking a lot of breaks, you might find yourself checking your notifications a lot while taking lunch for example, while if people had seen you working the whole morning, you would not feel the need to be so responsive. - in remote working, since people are not seeing you work, you feel that you should show results every day| - Working at home does not leave you time to cool off while coming back home from work. ON THE BRIGHT SIDE, SOME OF BENEFITS OF REMOTE WORKING - Remote workers are more productive. When working remotely, you dont get distracted as often and if your prioritisations skills are good, then you definitely get lot of more work done. - Not having to commute can improve your quality of life. Not needing to commute and significantly reducing your travel costs can lead to an increase in real income. - You also eat better, making your own meals at home. - Your work life balance can be greatly improved. Exercising, Spending time with family and friends. - Your stress can be greatly reduced I hope that's helpful :)
Laura Vasquez
@renia_rigopoulou Thanks Renia! This is definitely helpful. I believe working from a quiet café once or twice a week is a really good way to mix things up a bit as a remote worker.
Teekay Rezeau-Merah
On-site ? What's that ? Jokes aside, remote work is the only way in my line of work. Here are the Pros and Cons of both Pros of remote work: - No commuting, that means less time to waste traveling somewhere where you're going to sit uncomfortably for the next 8 to 9 hours - Better focus: no more colleagues who barge in on you while you're working - Better sleep: because you can gain up to an hour of sleep by working from home, you'll feel more rested and therefor more energized when you actually get going - Decreased costs: some may bike to work (and hope your bike doesn't get stolen), but many still rely on public transportation and their own vehicles to go to work. - More office space: blackboards, bigger office, more screens, you can have it all in the comfort of your home - Independence: freedom to take breaks whenever you want long as you finish the tasks at hand - Doing actual work - Homecooked meals - Better for the environment (and less traffic) Cons of remote work: None Pros of onsite work: None Cons of onsite work: - Commuting - Less focus - Catching your neighbor's flu/whatever sickness he has - Feeling less motivated to get out of bed cause you don't always get along with the people in your office space - Uncomfortable office space and/or materials - Having to bear the chatter of your colleagues, esp. in open spaces - No freedom to take breaks as you please cause the boss's watching - Toxic work culture - Office attire
Laura Vasquez
@teekay A lot of people choose to go to work even if they're really sick and I think that's pretty selfish to their coworkers (if they can easily get a valid medical excuse)! Definitely agree on that con
Hat Johnson
I like a mix. Remotely: Pros: -no commute. -can use your own kitchen to cook good meals, rather than reheat food from the night before. -no one steals your food from the fridge -no dirty washing in the sink -own bathroom -peace and quiet to think -get to hang out with my dog -can take breaks when needed -can work super flexible hours Cons: -can sometimes get distracted. A bit too easily. On-site: Pros: -can bounce ideas of people in the moment -social Cons: -the commute -office politics
Laura Vasquez
@hatbaggins I too sometimes get distracted when working remotely! But I agree that's about the only con from working remotely.
Hat Johnson
@laura_vasquez95 It's a great way of getting the housework done that's for sure. I'm struggling with the design of something today, so I've done quite a bit of cleaning.
Devanand Premkumar
@hatbaggins Bouncing ideas of people would be a highly beneficial one, if you are in creative or problem solving situations. Also it is said that two brains are always better than a single brain :D
Devanand Premkumar
@hatbaggins @laura_vasquez95 Question is how can we avoid this distraction while working remotely.?
Hat Johnson
@laura_vasquez95 @devaonbreaches I have a diary and fill out my tasks for the day. It's super satisfying to cross them ff my to-do list. And I feel it keeps me in check.
Ryan Hoover
I definitely prefer working remotely (I won't ever go back to an office job if I can help it), but it comes with challenges: https://medium.com/@rrhoover/the...
Laura Vasquez
@rrhoover So true! I read your blog post and resonated with many of the points you mentioned. But I don't think I'd like to go back to an office job either!
Thomas
Remote Pros: 1. No traffic 2. Work in comfortable clothing, or none at all if that's your thing 3. No distractions from other coworkers Cons: 1. No human interaction 2. Entirely possible you don't leave your house for 2 days On-site Pros: 1. Easier collaboration with a team Cons: 1. Tons of face to face meetings 2. Traffic 3. Generally feeling like you're paid to occupy a seat instead of perform actual work
Laura Vasquez
@thomasp423 "Entirely possible you don't leave your house for 2 days"... can't say I'm not guilty of that one! :D
Lindsay Fuce
Pro's of remote work: - instead of commuting I work out in the morning - instead of spending money on lunch, I make my own - instead of simply keeping myself busy when I have an off day, I structure my own time and get way more done in return - instead of going to happy hour with colleagues that I really have just work in common with, I've built relationships with other remote workers who are real, true friends. - other pro's: better work environment, no dress code, v close to my kitchen at most times, peaceful atmosphere, no ones rushing around frantically, can go on walks to break up my day, can work from different co-working spaces, or cafes, etc. Con's: Not many, aside from the fact that I am extroverted and can find myself lonely every once in a while. But that is easily fixed by surrounding oneself with friends or other remote workers. Oh, I can also get distracted easily, but discipline is necessary for any remote worker. I love working remotely, but I wouldn't mind if a job required me to go in-house once a week or maybe even twice in the future. That said, I don't think I could ever do more than that.
Laura Vasquez
@lindsay_fuce I love all of your points! And yes, a remote job that requires you to go to the office once or twice a week sounds good!
TL Robinson
After working remotely for the past several months, I definitely prefer working on-site. Although I get more work done at home, I miss the ceremony of getting ready in the morning and connecting with people in person. Side note: It's much easier to gain weight while working at home and consistently wearing comfortable clothes.
Laura Vasquez
@tl__robinson I see your point! I sometimes miss the morning routine of getting up really early, taking a hot shower, having breakfast, getting dressed, and going to work at my office desk. But I think I'm so used to working from home now that that would seem a bit monotonous!