When people think about remote work, they think about people working from the beach or on vacation. Many also think that they are lazy and not much work gets done. Many businesses were against remote work until COVID-19 struck. This shift helped organizations realize that remote workers can be just as productive as in-office workers, if not more. There are plenty of studies and first-hand stories that debunk many of the myths. However, below we will dive into 4 remote work myths that companies need to leave behind.
Remote workers are unproductive
The most common myth about remote work is that employees are lazy and unproductive when they work from home. Just because they aren’t sitting feet away from their bosses, it’s hard to gauge how much work they do. Which is why many assume they are lazy and work slowly. Time and time again, this theory has been disproven. Many remote workers tend to work longer hours than in-office employees who have hard stops at the end of the day.
You’ll have a better work-life balance
When people initially think of someone working from home, they all have the same vision. Someone who does a few work tasks, ten takes care of home-life related tasks. However, in reality, successful remote employees sit at their desks during work hours and avoid interruptions at all costs.
When you start working remotely, you may be excited about what your schedule will allow you to do. It can be extremely helpful to create a schedule for work and your personal life. You don’t want to be overwhelmed and find yourself working twice as much as you did when working in an office. If you have teams in other time zones, you might find it helpful to share your availability with them. This will make sure you don’t get trapped in a late night call when you shouldn’t be having to work.
Remote work destroys company culture
Many define company culture by the friendly interactions and strong relationships between employees. This traditionally occurs by spending time together in the office. However, if the work from home shift brought on by COVID-19 has taught us anything, it’s that remote teams can be closer than ever. The right combination of technology and team bonding events allows employees to develop the closeness they need to feel included.
For example, employees can use their team’s messaging app to create fun teams for recipes, sports, and memes. Also, you can host monthly meetings to discuss hot topics and keep the entire workforce informed.
Managing remote workers is impossible
Those against remote work argue that managing remote teams simply won’t work. This is rooted to management styles where bosses prefer the convenience of working a few feet away from employees. While there is a difference between managing remote workers and in-office workers, it’s nothing drastic. Without this proximity to employees, bosses have to evaluate employees based on performance rather than attendance. This means trusting employees to get jobs done without micromanagement or close supervision.