Over the years, a lot of us had a taste of what working from home feels like. And while many loved the idea behind it and all the mental health benefits that come with working from home - other’s weren’t so sure about it.
And that’s why many employers gave their staff the flexibility to choose whether they wanted to work in the office, work completely remotely, or even have a hybrid schedule where they work from the office 3 days and work remotely 2 days.
If the company you’re working for has given you the option to decide, you might be wondering whether a hybrid schedule or working 100% remotely is the better option.
And in this article, this is exactly what we are going to be taking a look at today. First, let’s take a look at hybrid working and what it brings to the table.
Hybrid Working
1. You Feel Less Alone
When working from home, we often remain confined to the same four walls every single day. The only sort of communication we do is via text, a video call, or a phone call, which is not enough. When working from home, we rarely ever see our colleagues in person which can lead to feelings of isolation and despair, and that’s not good.
The great thing about hybrid working is that it reduces these feelings of loneliness and isolation. Some even say that hybrid working gives you the best of both worlds, which many employees love.
If staying social is your biggest worry but you really want to work remotely - read about how to stay social when working from home.
2. Provides A Means For Effective Communication
Communicating over Slack or Zoom can be sufficient, but is definitely not as good in-person meetings. Relying on technology to do all of your internal communication might cause you to miss out on important and vital pieces of information such as deadlines.
When working hybrid, you and your team can schedule meetings to happen when all employees are in the office, so that way, you can communicate effectively, and focus on getting the work done while working from home.
3. Offers Opportunity For Team Development
There’s no doubt that interacting with your colleagues and having these in-person meetings leads to a host of positive effects. It also encourages support and commitment to the job, motivates individuals to continue working hard and giving it their all.
Additionally, the workplace is a place to build your skills and learn from one another. That’s something we often don't get when it comes to working from home.
Remote Working
Although living the hybrid lifestyle has its perks and may seem like the way to go - remote work allows you to redesign your life and work in such a way that suits you and your routine best. Whether it be taking care of your kids or making more time to work out, working remotely gives you all that freedom you need.
1. You Can Work Anywhere
The biggest benefit to remote work is that you’re not confined to a certain location. If you don't feel like working from your home office for the day, you can hop out to a coffee shop and work there. Having this freedom to come and go as you please not only increases your overall productivity but also improves your general motivation. Something that is sometimes difficult to achieve when you are shifting between the office and your home.
2. It Reduces Costs
Working from home or remotely allows you to save on a ton of money. You don’t have to pay for transportation, extra gas, car parking, buying lunch, and a range of other costs associated with working away from your home.
In turn, you will have much more money in your bank account at the end of each month, which you can put towards your mortgage or a trip with the family.
3. No Office Distractions
Working from the office can often come with a lot of distractions. From people constantly talking to shouting across the office - keeping focus with a lot of noise is definitely not for everybody.
So if you’re someone who enjoys working in peace, working remotely will be perfect for you as that will allow you to finish your to-do list quicker.
Conclusion
Both remote working and hybrid working have their own individual benefits. It is up to you to decide which option better fits your lifestyle and needs.
For instance, if you really like your colleagues but would still like to work from home on some days of the week - a hybrid schedule would suit you very nicely. On the flip side, if you want to travel around all the time - remote working will be better for you.
