Remote work; 6 false myths about teleworking
Rumours, gossip, misconceptions… In this world of ignorance, nobody is safe. Any topic can be turned into a cliché fervently defended by squadrons of know-it-alls. Nevertheless, things are not always what they tell us…
This is also the case with teleworking. In fact, usually those who have more authority and talk more about teleworking… are the ones who never work remotely.
Let’s find out more about some existing teleworking myths and whether they are false or there is actually some truth behind them. So, buckle up!
6 preconceived ideas about working remotely: myth or fact?
-Employees who telework aren’t actually working at all
This is a false myth, and perhaps the most detrimental when trying to establish teleworking in many companies. Many people believe that if the employee is not within sight, then he/she is probably watching Youtube videos of cute animals all day long, preparing a scrumptuous sandwich with 16 layers as a snack, or any kind of amusing activity other than working.
However, many studies have proven that employees who telework are about 25% more productive than those who work at the office. When working remotely, the teamlead usually sets a series of objectives, which helps employees be more focused and efficient, thus avoinding the dreaded scenario in which employees merely “warm their seats”, a situation widely found in offices. We bet you didn’t expect that. One point for teleworking!
-Employees who work remotely stay all day in their pyjamas.
Well, this is simply a personal choice, but not everybody does this!
It is important to take into account that what workers decide to wear is entirely up to them, but it is commonly recommended to follow the office dress code, because it helps to establish routines and to be more active from the beginning of the day. Moreover, keep in mind that many teleworkers choose to set their office outside their home (for example, taking their laptop with them to a coffee shop or a park), where sporting a pyjama is not always the wisest decision…
-People who work remotely lead a messy life
This is not necessarily true. Surely, some people can end up stuck in chaotic schedules, finishing work in the early morning and sleeping during the day. But not to worry, this is perfectly avoidable if routines are correctly established from the beginning with the necessary discipline to respect them.
In addition, if carried out wisely, the possibility of work life balance offered by teleworking could actually help employees lead a more logical and orderly life than what working in an office can allow. In other words, telework can offer the exact opposite of what one could think.
-Teleworking promotes isolation.
We should be careful with the word isolation in teleworking. Does this type of work cause the employee to become isolated from the company or the coworkers? Well, it could happen, but it doesn’t need to be that way.
There are multiple variables to be taken into account: from the type of tools used when working remotely to what modality is finally chosen (teleworking can be part-time and include some days working on site), or the worker’s type of personality. In the end, the most important thing is that both the company and the employee try their hardest to establish the best measures in order to prevent the employee from becoming a stranger to the other coworkers.
-Teleworking is only accessible to young people who know about technology.
OK, let’s clear something up, you will indeed need some basic knowledge of technology (for example, telling a computer and a coffee machine apart), but you do not need to be Steve Wozniak to be able to work from home. In fact, if you know who Steve Wozniak is, then you probably know enough to handle the technology you need for working remotely.
Moreover, we can all learn new things from time to time. With a little effort, even your grampa, the one who looks like Abe Simpson, could become a professional teleworker. It’s not that hard.
-Companies won’t make it easy to work remotely since there are way too many inconvenients.
Utter rubbish! Working from home has so many perks that it allowed us to write this article (incluir link a ehorus 9). But beware, in that same article we also mention the inconvenients, which shouldn’t be overlooked.
Among its benefits, there is the fact that the worker can be more autonomous, that employees can save themselves a lot of commuting (it is cheaper and less time-consuming to work from home), it is easier to balance work and personal life, it promotes integration of people with disabilities and the position is more valued. In comparison with the disadvantages, such as the possible isolation or a hypothetical reduction of performance in some workers, it is worth a shot. It seems that there are many more advantages than inconvenients, but each case should be studied individually.
In truth, depending on the country, many companies do not set up policies to promote teleworking. This is mainly due to cultural issues and work habits (in some regions and companies, the idea that employees who work remotely do nothing is still prevalent) and to the fact that it can be quite difficult to offer the teleworking option for some types of positions.
These are only a few myths (fake or with some truth in them) about teleworking, but you probably have other misconceptions you would like to disprove or confirm. Share your thoughts with all the readers of our blog by leaving a message in the comment box at the end of this article!
But before you passionately start telling us about your impressions, we would love for you to get to know our beloved eHorus.
eHorus is a remote management system for IT equipments (remote desktop software), that can be very useful to carry out various tasks simultaneously, such as some tasks related to teleworking.
Would you like to know what eHorus can do for you? Find out more and visit the following website: https://ehorus.com
You can also send us any questions you might have about eHorus. Simply fill in the contact form available in the following link:
https://ehorus.com/contact-us-remote-management-software/
The amazing eHorus team will be delighted to answer all your queries!
