- Difficulty setting boundaries: When working from home, it can be difficult to set clear boundaries between work and personal life. This can lead to unpaid overtime and work overload.
- Lack of social interaction: Working remotely can be lonely, which can be a problem for some people who enjoy social interaction in the workplace.
- Distractions in the home environment: Working from home can be a challenge, especially if you have children or pets. Distractions and the lack of a separate work environment can affect productivity.
- When working from home, it can be more difficult to receive adequate feedback and supervision. This can be especially problematic for workers who need regular feedback to improve their performance.
- Communication issues: Communication can be a challenge when working from home, especially if the company doesn't provide the right tools for online communication and collaboration.
- Team problems: At certain times we can feel that we are losing connection with the team and that they are not aware of everything that is happening in the company.
- Technology issues: Working from home can require proper equipment and technology, and if something goes wrong with technology, it can be difficult to effectively fix the problem.
Overall, remot work can be a great opportunity for workers who want more flexibility and control over their work schedule and environment. However, all that glitters is not gold, and it also comes with some significant challenges that we should be aware of.
But really, is remote work really going to be implemented?
There is no exact figure for how many people are working remotely with a simple internet connection in countries like the United States, for example. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is estimated that a significant number of people are working from home. According to a Gartner study, about 41% of American workers were working remotely at least part of the time before the pandemic, and that number is expected to rise significantly this year.As for the students, it is difficult to provide a precise figure, as there are many universities around the world that offer online programs and the number is constantly growing. However, according to an estimate from a study carried out this year, it is estimated that there are more than 7,000 universities worldwide that offer online education programs to students from all over the world. These programs vary in terms of quality, cost, and duration, but they provide a great opportunity for students to gain distance education no matter where they are.
Platforms capable of giving English or mathematics classes to children under ten years of age from their homes are even recently becoming known, all remotely and guaranteeing that they will capture their attention one hundred percent. And it is a reality that both the hours that we spend working and those that we will spend studying are going to mean a large part of our day-to-day time at home.
Socialization and remote work
In this sense, it is important to always keep in mind several initiatives that we can carry out to maintain or improve the levels of our social relationships:- Maintain regular communication with our co-workers through video calls, instant messages or email. This can help us stay connected and feel part of a team.
- Organize virtual events, such as a virtual lunch or happy hour, so that we can interact with our co-workers in an informal way.
- Join online discussion groups on topics that interest us. This can help us connect with other people who share our interests and help us feel less isolated.
- Plan virtual outings with our co-workers, such as a visit to an online museum or a virtual cooking class.
- Make sure we take regular breaks and talk to our coworkers about anything that doesn't have to do with work. This can help us maintain a healthy and balanced relationship with them.
In short, digital relationships have increased and will continue to grow in the coming years, and with it the amount of time we spend in our homes, physically isolated from other human beings. That's why socializing is key to maintaining a healthy work-life balance, especially when working from home.