As long as you get the work done!

Nearly every facet of life transitioned online in 2020.

But one significant change is the shift from working in person to working online. If we had been told that a time would come where work from home would be the "new normal", I am sure we would have dismissed it because it seemed simply impossible about 5 to 10 years ago.

However, presently, we can count 6 out of 10 Ghanaians who work remotely in one way or the other. It is even so typical that some companies can function remotely without a physical location.

Remote work – A blessing in disguise

Working remotely is a concept catalysed by the global pandemic.

It may be a blessing in more ways than one but might also have its pitfalls.

Firstly, who knew that technology would catch up faster with us with the "help" of COVID-19? With the rise in technology, robots and other technological advancements, life has been more straightforward. From ordering food from an app at home to grocery shopping from your couch, life has undoubtedly gotten simpler with technology. Not to mention the carbon footprint reduction, with less paper and other materials being used, which have been replaced with technology.

Economically speaking, working from home has been a blessing for most. Now, you do not have to spend money in and out of work five days a week. Imagine how much you would save because you do not have to buy a full fuel tank or pay outrageous transport prices.

Especially in an economy where breathing is a guaranteed 20-100 cedis ($2-$10). But let's not forget the high data charges of staying online and connected. With the telecommunications companies capitalising on it (yikes!), is it a blessing in disguise, then?

If you are a social butterfly, it is a no-brainer that remote work favours your lifestyle.

That is, you can quickly hop from a social gathering to having a presentation in the next minute while still living your best life.

Despite these, you will surely miss your work besties, little banter between work, and catching up at the lunch cafeteria.

We can also talk about the ease of working online, where you do not have to be sitting behind a desk in one position for 40 hours a week.

However, at home, you can either lie down and work, take breaks when you want, or even cook while working, as long as you get the work done.

Not to talk of being able to wear your comfortable attires while still working. You can wear a shirt and tie over a piece of shorts while still looking formal for your presentation. How cool is that?

Nonetheless, according to Katie Bishop (2022) from BBC, the increase in remote work has proportionally increased mental health challenges.

This shows that the impact of staying at home behind a computer without connecting with others physically harms our mental health.

People report experiencing higher stress levels working from home than from the office as there is no barrier to when to stop working and when to relax.

The new normal

Remote work transforms the corporate scene; sometimes, change is not easy. For remote work to be successful, organisations must implement measures to help employees adapt to work from home while still delivering business value.

Now there's the provision of ergonomic furniture for workspaces, which has completely transformed the design of office spaces.

Presently, more shared office spaces and "cosy" furniture allow you a great place to rest your back while still working.

This has helped to make remote work more bearable, even with the increase in the production of computer glasses, meant to protect your eyes from the long hours of the computer's blue light.

In Ghana, there has been an improvement in the provision of internet access. Gone are the days when Free WiFi was a most-prized commodity.

Today, there are a lot of restaurants that have free WiFi to accommodate the growing demand for remote workers who would make use of their facilities.

Also, telecommunication companies have shown their support by providing specialised bundles to enable remote workers to work effectively and not overspend on data bundles.

We must not leave out our companies, who are also doing their best to ensure that working remotely is as less stressful as possible.

Some companies have schedules to remind their workers to take 5 minutes breaks. Others have also instituted daily standup reminders to ensure their workers stand up from their laptops.

A forever thing or Only good for a while?

It is probably safe to say that remote work has come to stay. Many types of machinery, robots, systems, and Artificial Intelligence programs, such as Timely, have been implemented to ensure this.

However, companies have also realised the need to meet physically; thus, they have introduced weekly or monthly meetups to combat being entirely online.

That said, it still does not take away the remote work, showing that it has come to stay, not just for now but forever.

Ultimately, I believe that working remotely is effective in the long run. Still, it must be done right.

It may not be the ideal option for every worker or every company. Thus, find which works for you since it has come to stay.

Suppose your company works fully remote, but you would like a feel of the office at home. In that case, designate a place to resemble your workspace or consider visiting cafés with free WiFi and join the community of remote workers you find there.

Whichever your choice happens to be, the Looksharp Career Center is up to supporting your job search, remote or otherwise.

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