Is Remote Work the New Normal for Businesses?

Just like the industrial revolution and the renaissance, the coming forth of a new normal will foster in a new age of technology, awareness, and work ethics. While it may seem a bit weird that we have to follow intricate and strange protocols, this is to our benefit. In light of a recent global emergency, most businesses have slowed down, with most contact-intensive industries such as public transportation being held to a crawl. While this is happening, some companies have decided to take their business online instead of suffering the same fate. 

Despite most businesses transitioning towards a contactless business approach, there are still some essential industries that have to remain open. While manufacturing companies are allowed to run with minimal foot traffic, especially when most machinery, such as a hot foil stamping machine, can work with at least one person operating it. 

But other than essential workers needing to go out and work, the majority of the business sector that features white-collar jobs are adapting a new work-from-home mentality. How does this work, and how does this fit into the new normal? 

The New Normal

There are business analysts who are still on the fence when calling remote work as the new normal. Some would say that since the majority of the workforce works from home, it is more of an experiment rather than a major transition. However, some countries have considered remote work as a more efficient way of working and are willing to make the transition, even after the pandemic. That said, it will depend on the type of worth ethic that’s in the country. 

There are several reasons why office workers and employers are starting to consider remote work. Here are some of the most common reasons on why it’s such a hit:

You Can Focus

While having a bit of cooler talk and gossip on the side during your break times at the office can help make the day more tolerable, it will ultimately still be a distraction for most individuals. Other than working on what your job description entails, there will be times that other people in the office will be asking for help and queries, which can also divide your attention. 

With remote work, you won’t have to deal with the constant buzzing of people around you. Getting into the groove to work is as simple as putting on your earphones, tuning out external stimuli, and just focusing on your workload. After all, we’re at the office to work and not to make small talk.

Less Expenditure

For most workers that have to use public transportation to go around, they won’t have to wade through traffic, spend hours traveling, or possibly getting late for work. In addition to a budget on transportation, there are

Wider Range of Opportunities

Now that the world is connected through a high-speed network of information being set back and forth, it will only take mere seconds to reach out to a colleague that might be in another continent. Usually, job opportunities in rural areas might not be requiring your expertise. Often, this is why most people want to move to large cities. 

But with the internet at the palm of our hands, we can actively look for guidance, training, and work through several means. 

Is It Safe? 

remote work

There are a lot of managers and employers who are quite keen on ensuring that confidential information is not leaked. But for the most part, people are still quite skeptical that information can be leaked when the workspace is being taken at home. Sometimes, some businesses will not opt to go through with transitioning towards remote work because most are paranoid that sensitive information might be used. 

But contrary to what most people think, remote work is considered one of the best ways of protecting information. Not only is information easily accessible through cloud sharing applications and sites, but most remote workers tend to have a proper amount of protection against malware, compared to most company-issued software. 

Here are several ways of increasing the security of your remote workplace: 

Password Management

This type of application will be your best friend throughout most remote work businesses. In most cases, managers don’t mind letting their employees know of secure passwords for applications in their workplace. But in a remote environment, an employee might try to access the account on different devices. 

Password managers are one of the best ways of protecting and storing passwords without having to know them. Several platforms can help managers secure confidential information by generating encrypted randomly-generated passwords.

Some companies would also use passphrases instead of passwords. Of course, password managers can still do an efficient job in protecting your information, but when trying to get into your device, being creative can go a long way. 

 

In short, remote work is slowly phasing out regular office jobs since most companies are taking the appropriate amount of precaution against a particular disease. While there are essential jobs, especially in the manufacturing and food industry, that require face-to-face interactions, most office workers can manage data and spreadsheets more easily. It’s safe to say that remote work is the new norm in most business sectors, and it might be the bread and butter for industries for years. 

The advantages of remote work outweigh the drawbacks. Whether you want to spend more time with your family, see the world, or simply take a nap after doing a project, remote work can give you an unparalleled experience and convenience.