Remote work: What stands behind the trend concept?

The world of work is constantly changing. Although it only affected individual industries for a long time, remote work has been gaining importance for years. Since the Corona crisis, remote work outside the office is now also present among the general public. In connection with flexible work, there are some challenges to overcome. But it also offers numerous advantages for employees and employers. So, will we only be working remotely in the future?

All about remote work

Definition - What does Remote Work mean?

There is no binding definition of the term "Remote Work." In German, it can be translated as "Fernarbeit" (telecommuting). Remote Work, therefore, generally refers to any form of work that is not performed in the company office. This can be one’s own home or a hammock in Bali.

In addition to the local component, there is also a time component. Remote work does not take place in the traditional 9-to-5 period. Instead, remote workers distribute their working hours flexibly throughout the day.

Remote work, home office, teleworking - what's the difference?

The terms remote work, home office, telework or mobile work are often used synonymously. However, there are important differences between the terms, which can be relevant, especially from the point of view of occupational safety.

The term telework generally refers to work outside the office. As a rule, it is divided into 3 sub-areas.

Telecommuting: Telecommuting involves working permanently from home. A workplace in the employer's office is not intended from the outset.

Alternating Telecommuting: With alternating telecommuting, employees regularly alternate between the workplace and the private sphere. When people talk about home office, they usually mean alternating telecommuting.

Mobile work: Mobile work takes place neither in the office nor at home. Rather, the employee works exclusively on the move. However, there is a connection to the company via information and communication technology.

Remote work, like teleworking, is a generic term for all forms of remote working.

Advantages & challenges of remote work

The fact that hundreds of thousands of people are currently working from home is less the result of a normal development than it is due to the Corona crisis. But the crisis has only accelerated the development that was already taking place. Many employees will continue to want to make use of remote work even after the pandemic, because it brings numerous advantages.

Advantages of remote work

The following points are regularly found on the list of advantages.

• Productivity: Contrary to the still common view of some employers, many employees find the peace and quiet away from the open-plan office conducive to their own productivity.
• Avoid travel times: Due to the increasing demand for flexibility in the labor market, travel times of more than 30 minutes are more the rule than the exception. Not having to leave the house in the morning therefore means an enormous gain in time.
• Family friendliness: Balancing work and family life requires good time management. Working in the home office creates flexibility to organize family and job more easily.
• Climate protection: Millions of commuters travel across Germany every day, whether it's the journey to work or customer visits. This involves large amounts of CO2. An increase in remote work and video conferences instead of customer visits offers enormous savings in favor of climate protection.

However, developments in remote work also offer some advantages for employers:

• Employer Branding: By enabling employees to work flexibly, regardless of location and time, companies strengthen their employer branding and stand out from the competition for talented workers. In some industries, especially the digital industry, the possibility of remote work is usually one of the minimum requirements.
• Access to skilled workers: The increasing urbanization of recent years has become an ever greater competitive disadvantage, especially for companies in rural areas. Thanks to remote work, people far away from the company location are also part of the potential candidate pool again.

Challenges of Remote Work

At the same time, there are also challenges to be overcome in relation to remote work.

• Loneliness: The office is not only a place to work, but also for social exchange with colleagues. One of the most frequently mentioned negative points of remote workers is social isolation during the working day. This is not least why co-working spaces are becoming increasingly popular.
• Separation between work and leisure time: Working from anywhere, always having the company laptop with you - this makes it increasingly difficult to separate work and leisure time. As a result, remote workers often feel even more stressed than people who mentally end their working day when they leave the company office.
• Information exchange: Clarifying problems at a colleague's desk, knowing what is happening in other departments - the office is also a place for the exchange of information. Companies need to find processes for this that enable a functioning flow of information even between remote workers.

How companies promote remote work

Remote work will become increasingly important in the coming years. Companies should already ensure that they are optimally positioned for future developments.

1. Create a digital infrastructure

The most important prerequisite for remote work is an appropriate digital infrastructure in the company.

• Employees are equipped with the latest technology, enabling them to use modern information and communication technology.
• The company network can be securely accessed from anywhere. This means that all information and documents are available regardless of location and time.
• Tools for collaboration and communication (project management tools, video conferencing software, messenger programs, …) are established in the company and employees are trained to use them.

2. Provide equipment

An optimally equipped workplace is necessary in order to work productively. This also applies to working outside the office. Companies provide employees who work from home with the same high-quality office furniture, such as desks and ergonomic office chairs, and technical equipment, such as laptops and monitors. In doing so, they also comply with their occupational health and safety regulations.

3. Enable co-working space use

Not every employee feels that their own home is the ideal place to work. Co-working spaces are particularly popular in metropolitan regions. Permanent remote workers are also increasingly making use of them. Instead of equipping a workplace in the private sphere, companies can provide vouchers for the use of co-working spaces. Employees can use them to rent a desk at the location where they are currently working.

Effects on the office landscape

The way we work will also change the way offices are used and designed. Different scenarios are possible for the respective company.

Scenario 1: Decrease in office space used

After years of rising demand, the real estate sector in particular fears a decline in the amount of office space required. This is because with fewer employees permanently on site, fewer jobs will be needed.

Scenario 2: Distribution of office space

However, it is also conceivable that companies will not only offer a central office in the future. Instead, they rent several offices and employees choose the branch that is most conveniently located for them to work in.

Scenario 3: Conversion of the existing office space

At Lendis, we do not believe that the office will die out. On the contrary, we are convinced that it will continue to be an important point of contact for employees in the future. However, the office will primarily function as a central meeting place where people can talk to colleagues, plan projects and exchange ideas. Companies will provide appropriately designed areas for this purpose. Instead of workstations, the picture will be characterized by conference rooms, meeting points and lounge areas.

How Lendis can support you

Lendis helps you implement remote work in your company. Together with us, you not only ensure that you have the right IT equipment so that your teams can work together productively remotely. With Lendis, your employees receive work laptops and everything else delivered directly to their homes.