Is Remote Work The New Norm?
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, working from home is starting to become far more normalized and people are beginning to accept remote work as their new way of life. Many companies are seeing this pandemic as an opportunity to test whether remote work should remain permanent even after the pandemic subsides.
As research has shown, employers are expecting that nearly 40% of employees will continue to work remotely through 2022 and beyond, compared to the 57% who are currently working remotely due to the pandemic. Most companies are beginning to look at how they can adopt a voluntary or flexible schedule for employees to work in the office or remotely. According to an article by Vox “an estimated 70% of the workforce will be working remotely at least five days a month” by 2025.
Additionally, as working from home has become more popular especially amongst the younger generation it seems as though there are more and more ways to make a passive income without working for a traditional company!
I recently read an article that discussed the concept of working remotely, while still attending office meetings and events via virtual reality. If you haven’t already accepted the idea of our world becoming driven by tech, you might want to consider getting onboard, as new innovations are taking over fast! You can check out my best work from home ideas here. One of the most popular ways to work from home is to start blogging. I’ve included my link to Bluehost WordPress Hosting which will get you a discount deal for a free domain and monthly hosting for just $3.49 per month.
Click here to get this deal from BlueHost. Then follow the tutorial below on how to start a blog.
Are There Benefits to Working From Home?
Just like anything, there are both pros and cons of working from home. Since it seems to be the new norm these days, let’s just focus on the benefits!
One of the biggest benefits to remote work is that it accommodates a much easier work-life balance. For decades, a healthy work-life balance is something that people have really struggled with, particularly in North America. We are all very quick to put work first and not make time for ourselves and our loved ones. Let’s try to learn from Amsterdam where the culture is more “work to live,” not “live to work.” Remote work will allow for much more flexible schedules, which means potentially being able to attend more of your children’s sports games and musicals, date nights with your significant other and maybe even extra time for fitness classes or the gym!
Another huge benefit to working from home is that there is no commute. Did you know that the average commute to work in the United States is 27 minutes? This means that on average people are spending around an hour just in their commute to and from work. Research has shown that anything longer than a 30 minute commute can lead to increased levels of cholesterol, blood sugar and a greater risk of depression.
A huge benefit to working remotely that people don’t often realize until they begin, is that you can technically pick up and work from anywhere in the world you want as long as you have access to a laptop, WIFI and all of the correct resources you may need. Working remotely as a digital nomad has a host of benefits all on its own. You can meet new people, explore new countries, learn about different cultures, avoid high-rent/high-mortgage areas and avoid dreadful winters if you live somewhere that experiences a colder climate.
If you’re interested in getting started as a digital nomad, consider checking out Fiverr.com You can find just about any freelance job on fiverr and pick it up in a matter of minutes. Alternatively, if you own a business and are seeking remote workers, Projects on Fiverr.com start at $5 so it’s a good resource to try out different providers without breaking your budget.
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Companies Already Making the Transition to Remote Work
As companies are starting to feel more familiar and at ease with transitioning their employees out of the office into a remote style of work, many of them are beginning to realize that permanent remote work could quite literally be the future regardless of a pandemic.
If you’re the type of person who has loved working at home for the last 2 years and you’re finding that it may be impossible to go back into an office, below are 10 companies that you may want to check out! The following companies have decided to transition to long term remote work and many of them are hiring!
- Amazon
As you already know, Amazon is the largest online retailer in the world, employing over 92,000 people across the world. In recent months, amazon has announced that they will be adjusting their return-to-work plan for all corporate employees currently working remotely. Rather than having their employees return to the office full time, they will be returning to the office 3 days per week and working remotely for the other 2 days. If employees would prefer to work 100% remotely, exceptions will also be made, but they would no longer have access to a dedicated office desk.
Since its launch in 2014, Facebook has remained one of the most utilized social media apps to this day with roughly 2.6 billion users. Following Facebook’s remote work policy through the course of the pandemic, they have since announced that all employees will now have the option of making remote work permanent.
- Microsoft
Microsoft is very well known for being one of the largest multinational tech companies in the world. In a post-pandemic world, Microsoft has announced that employees will be able to continue their remote work during 50% of their work week. If an employee would prefer to transition to 100% remote work, exceptions can be made.
Reddit is an online platform that hosts close to a billion users each month through varying online communities where people can chat, learn, debate and post about various topics. Reddit is remaining extremely flexible with their back to work plans in that they are going to be giving employees the option of working remotely or in-office. If employees do choose to work in the office, Reddit has stated that this will be a very casual working environment.
- Shopify
Shopify is known as one of the top ecommerce platforms for small to mid-sized companies. They have been very clear in their post-pandemic plans, with CEO Tobi Lutke tweeting that “As of today, Shopify is a digital by default company. We will keep our offices closed until 2021 so that we can rework them for this new reality. And after that, most will permanently work remotely. Office centricity is over.”
- Slack
If you already work remotely, chances are that slack is your best friend. Slack has been around since 2013 and acts as an easy to use, professional communications platform that co-workers and clients can use to discuss, plan and share documents with each other.
- Spotify
Spotify is an application, founded in Sweden that has become one of the most popular platforms for listening and downloading music, podcasts and even comedy clips! Spotify has recently announced that their employees will be given the option of whether they would prefer to work from home or in the office. They will also be able to choose the option of working from a co-working space, while Spotify will cover the costs of.
- Target
Everyone’s favourite retailer for all at-home, everyday essentials has decided to make the transition into a permanent hybrid remote work model for many of their employees working at the corporate level.
- Upwork
The Covid-19 pandemic has brought Upwork into the spotlight, as it has become the world largest marketplace for freelancers. Upwork currently has 10 million freelancers registered to their platform and over 4 million registered companies actively seeking freelance employees. Upwork has stated that they will be permanently adopting the remote work model for all employees. There will likely be some exceptions however for employees working in office.
- Coinbase
Coinbase is a very exciting and relatively new cryptocurrency platform that is used by millions of people to facilitate their everyday transactions using cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. In similar fashion to Shopify, Coinbase has made the decision to become a remote-first company. This will allow any employee that would like to work from home permanently, the ability to do so.
If you’re interested in reading more about the various companies that are choosing to make the transition into permanent remote work styles you can check out this article by Forbes.
At Home Office Must Haves
If you are someone who will be moving into a permanent work from home routine, you need to make sure that your work from home environment is properly set up for optimal efficiency, clarity, and productivity. A scattered working environment can often lead to a scattered mind. Before making the transition to remote work, make sure that you have everything you may need and more for increased productivity.
Below, I have provided a short, but practical checklist of some key items that will increase your overall focus and productivity while working from home. All items below, you can find on Amazon! Also be sure to check out my 5 productivity tips to working from home.
Standing desks are not only convenient, but they have also been proven to offer a variety of health benefits such as reducing your risk of heart disease, weight gain and back pain, while boosting both energy levels and productivity.
Lap desks are great because they make it easy to work from anywhere! Even your bed!
This monitor stand elevates your computer so that you can have more space at your desk! Having your monitor or computer closer to eye height is also far better for your posture.
If you will be staring into your screen all day, these glasses are great for blocking out the blue light. This will make it easier to focus by reducing the strain that is constantly being put on your eyes from the light.
If you plan on working at and attending meetings from a computer that has built in cameras, these webcam covers ensure that you can always control your own privacy. They can very simply be shut to block your webcam, or pushed to open for a full view display.
If you run into the problem of only having one nearby outlet, but multiple devices while you’re working from an at home office, a multi plug outlet can be a perfect solution! The specific product displayed above offers a unique shape to ensure that you can plug in as many chunky chargers as need be, without getting in the way of one and other.
The above product is an ergonomic, memory foam, under the desk footrest that is beneficial for natural arch support, optimal circulation, body alignment and comfort while sitting at a desk for long periods of time.
If you will be working at a computer from a seated position for long hours, it may be worth Investing in an office chair cushion. This cushion is a simple way to relieve both tailbone and back pain while also improving your posture.
Even when working from home, maintaining some level of organization is critical. It has been proven time and time again that the most organized individuals are the most efficient and productive in a working environment.
I know I can’t be the only one who enjoys snacking while I work. If you are also someone who is prone to getting crumbs stuck between the keys on your keyboard, you need this universal dust cleaner! This is a reusable biodegradable gel type substance that will not stick to your hands and will pick up any sort of dust or crumbs in the hard-to-reach places on your laptop or workspace.
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Read the Entire Work from Home Series
- How to Land Premium Jobs on Upwork
- How To Get Approved On Upwork?
- 11 Jobs for People Who Hate People
- Amazon Work from Home Jobs That are In Demand
- Work from Home Jobs That Don’t Require a College Degree