Table of Contents
Here is the comparison of remote working with office work.
Remote working is when employees do their jobs from another location that is not the central office under the employer’s control. Such places include a private office, the employee’s home, and a co-worker’s house.
On the other hand, office working is a practice where workers work at the employer’s central location and are under supervision. The differences between the two types of working are discussed below.
1. Remote working is more flexible compared to office.
Working in a small place makes employees feel more comfortable since there is no intensive supervision from the employer. They will be able to produce to their best capacity when under normal circumstances.
Employees who live near the customers will improve their services since they will save time compared to when in the office. Customers can express their complaints to them directly without going to the office.
On the other hand, office work may not be flexible since workers have to report to work and then return to the customers’ location to make sales. Some employees may find it challenging to reach customers, reducing their work performance.
When working from a remote place, you can start your work early or extend your career to the weekend, thus increasing output.
2. Office working promotes motivation compared to remote working.
Working in an office makes workers not feel isolated from others, thus motivating them to work efficiently. Workers can interact with others and borrow different ideas, improving the quality of work.
Remote working makes some workers feel isolated since everyone depends on handling various tasks. The feeling of isolation makes them lack the morale to work, thus leading to low production, which reduces their income.
3. Working in an office is less convenient compared to remote working.
Remote working is the best since there is a favorable environment. The calm and relaxed conditions make workers work well without difficulty, producing more.
Office work can sometimes be disadvantageous since there might be destruction from the noise of the machines used in the production process.
Even though workers use computers, they cannot concentrate due to noise and destruction from other employees.
4. Office working makes monitoring performance more accessible than remote working.
Employers can easily monitor the performance of their employees at an office compared to when they are working from a remote place. Employers can deal with problems that affect the workers at the workplace by finding solutions.
In addition, employers get direct feedback on how particular tasks are done by every worker, therefore, monitoring the process. Remote working makes it difficult to see what each worker is doing.
Therefore workers may decide to be lazy and work less due to boredom, thereby reducing the performance of the business.
5. Remote working enables better work/life balance compared to office.
Working at home makes employees work on the other part of life rather than work only. They can focus on household chores during the work breaks and be together with family members.
Therefore it leads to the creation of stronger bonds with family. Working in an office keeps workers away from home; thus, they will not perform other tasks that are part of their life at home. Family members will feel isolated since they only stay home with them for a few hours.
6. Remote working reduces the need for regular holidays compared to the office.
Working in a remote place is convenient for the workers, and therefore they will not feel that there is a need to be given more time to rest. Office work requires regular holidays to relax and be together with their family since most of the time they are away.
More minor holidays mean that the company will have high productivity since the workforce will be efficiently used to produce more and attain the organization’s objectives.
7. Remote working reduces sickness absences compared to office.
The staff becomes more energetic by working at home; therefore, their immunity will improve, always working towards better performance. Office work makes them perform under pressure, and some may develop stress and depression, making them fall sick frequently.
Some workers are likely to fake sickness to be away from work due to pressure from the managers. Absenteeism leads to poor performance and even extra costs to the organization. Sometimes, when workers are absent for a long time, they have to hire a temporary worker to fill their position.
8. Remote working improves productivity compared to the office.
Remote working makes workers work for more hours conveniently, thus increasing output. Technology makes it easier to enhance efficiency while working since simple tasks are automated and help to save time.
On the other hand, office working is fixed in terms of hours employees can work. Workers can not extend the working hours once the required time; thus, some work may be left incomplete to be continued the next day.
9. Remote working saves time compared to the office.
Workers will be able to save more time when if they work from their convenience home. They will not commute much to work, which is very stressful, especially during a traffic jam on the roads.
The time saved can improve their productivity, thus motivating them to work more. Salaries are likely to increase if the output generated increases by the employees.
Office work requires a lot of time to prepare to work and may sometimes affect workers’ mental health, especially those who arrive late at work. Some employers deduct some money from their salaries as a punishment for being late.
10. Remote working leads to information security risk compared to office.
Working from home puts the organization at risk since they can leak the secrets of the business to friends and other family members at home. If the information is tampered with, it becomes easier for people to know the technology weaknesses of the company.
Therefore it can lead to theft, or even people may develop a bad image of the business leading to reduced sales. On the other hand, office work keeps the company’s secrets well since employees are closely monitored to ensure that they work according to the set rules of the company.
Quick reference table of the differences
Table outlining some key differences between remote working and working from an office:
| Points | Remote Working | Working from Office |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Work can be done from anywhere | Work is done at a physical office space |
| Commute | No daily commute | Daily commute may be required |
| Flexibility | More flexible schedule | Schedule may be less flexible |
| Distractions | Fewer office distractions | More potential for distractions |
| Communication | Often relies on technology for communication | Face-to-face communication is more common |
| Collaboration | May require more effort for collaboration | Collaboration can be more seamless |
| Office Culture | May feel disconnected from company culture | Can experience and contribute to office culture |
| Work-Life Balance | Easier to achieve work-life balance | May require more effort to achieve work-life balance |
| Cost Savings | Can save on transportation, food, and other expenses | May have to spend more on transportation, food, and other expenses |
| Technology | Relies on technology for remote access and communication | Technology is provided in-office |
Conclusion
Comparing remote working and office makes it possible to conclude that remote working is more convenient for both the workers and employees. The reason is that it is more flexible and saves a lot of time and costs that are associated with office work. Most organizations have adopted remote working to improve efficiency and productivity and ensure the good mental health of the workers since some workers do not work well under close supervision.