Pros and cons of remote working

Remote working is a way of performing professional duties, with certain strengths and weaknesses associated with it. The importance of remote working in many sectors of the economy in Poland and worldwide has increased significantly in the era of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Remote working – essence of the issue

The Polish legislator initially specified that remote working may include the performance of professional duties during the Covid-19 pandemic and additionally during a period of 3 months after the cancellation of the pandemic. The Polish government is currently working on an amendment to the Labour Code, which will include long-term changes on the subject of doing remote work.

Remote working offers and its popularity by profession

Remote work offers were already appearing before the Covid-19 pandemic, but the number of job offers in this form increased significantly after the closure of many sectors after 2019. Remote job offers were not only for people with professional experience and narrow skills (for example, programmers), but also for people with no experience (often taking their first job). Remote working is now increasingly universal, aimed at people of different professions and work experience. This is an important advantage of remote working.

Moreover, some people treat remote working as a full-time job, others as an additional way of earning money (as part-time job). The professions most likely to work remotely were, for example:

• programmer;
• web designer
• graphic designer;
• software tester;
• translator;
• journalist;
• architect;
• accountant;
• copywriter;
• data analyst;
• online customer service employee.

Observing market trends, it can be concluded that the catalogue of professions in which remote working can be carried out is steadily growing. The level of awareness among current and future employees about the opportunities associated with remote working is constantly increasing. Remote working has been used in an increasing number of economic sectors in recent years. The legislator has not imposed on the employee or the employer where such work can be carried out. Remote working is now no longer associated solely with the IT sector.

Remote working – why is it worth it? Advantages of remote working in the post-pandemic period

Stable remote working, carried out from home, has become a way for many employees to improve the efficiency of their duties. Working remotely means less stress, a high degree of self-control and self-discipline, and more freedom and flexibility to choose how to achieve their goals. Being able to work remotely gives the employee greater comfort and peace of mind, allowing them to reflect and properly plan their work schedule according to their own expectations.

The question of whether remote working must be done from home should be answered in the negative. Remote work can be performed from home or from another location, by prior agreement between the employee and the employer. They can negotiate freely, which is an important benefit of remote working.

A worker is exposed to occupational risks present in the workplace in many occupations. These risks are not present when working from home or any other location designated by the worker. However, the risks of sitting for too long without breaks and looking at a computer monitor for too long cannot be overlooked here. The answer to the question of whether remote working pays off is also affirmative. Many employees feel more motivated and can work more effectively remotely than in the office. This leads to better results and bonuses to base salary.

Remote working – weak points

This kind of work is characterised by certain weaknesses that emerged in various industries especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. Why the doubt about remote working? Well, some employees asked themselves during the Covid-19 pandemic how not to go crazy doing remote work. Not everyone adapted easily to the demands accompanying this way of performing their duties at work. Some indicated that they lacked social interaction in the work environment. They also complained about the lack of control and lack of feedback from their supervisor. Other employees were uncomfortable with the ‘forced’ confinement at home and the lack of social interaction with colleagues. Not every employee had a suitable workspace for it. Some employees reported various types of electronic equipment malfunctions and failures, making it impossible or difficult to perform their work.

Remote working reduced employee access to organisational resources. It made it more difficult to access training other than online and, for some employees, it interfered with their family responsibilities.

In our company, you can choose the operating mode that suits you. Remote, hybrid or from the office? Choose as convenient for you. Regardless of whether you work remotely or from the office, our teams do not lack opportunities for joint trips and offline meetings. See the job offers for which we are currently recruiting.