By now, most of the employees have recognised that working remotely in Singapore is making life easier and more convenient for them. Remote work can help address the long, uncomfortable commutes challenge faced by employees; while at the same, companies can experience less absenteeism, lower demand for desk space and a reduced need for expensive, sprawling offices, and an increase in profitability after instituting these remote jobs.

The remote work trends started with increased technology made possible by the digital era, otherwise referred to as the Information Age. This is a period in human history where an employee can successfully complete projects and communicate with their team virtually — even schedule watercooler breaks — without being in the same room or even the same city. And rather than going into a traditional office each weekday morning, they can work remotely from anywhere as long as they’ve got a laptop and good internet. 

And because of its many different work policies, other terms were coined and included “telecommuting” or even “work from home”. While the term “remote work” simply means any work you do that doesn’t require commuting into an office, the other two may have a slight difference in terms of their meanings. For example, telecommuting may mean that an employee might have to head into a co-working space for some of the days in a week while working from home is exactly that—at home.

Still, differentiating the premises might not be a good idea since every job has its nature and needs. But for those who have embarked upon the journey, among the benefits are: 

Have a better work-life balance

Although some people complain about the challenges of working with children in their homes, the reality is that most people are more easily able to have a better work-life balance when they have the flexibility to work from home. Creating the ultimate work-life balance, then, may come in the forms of wearing their favourite PJs and slippers below the desk, and of course, attending to family requirements whenever they have the opportunity.

Help boost creativity and productivity

Interestingly, with renewed motivation and less stress, many remote employees claim that there is a higher probability of having spontaneous ideas that occur from “working by wandering around.” This is pretty predictable given that they are embracing a totally new working culture, thus, giving them the ability to focus on deep work and yield higher productivity rates. 

Feel healthier

Stress is no joke. And it is often a huge barrier to emotional, physical and mental health. When we make our job our first priority, then there is the fact that we are likely to encounter stress. This makes sense when we consider the time spent in long, uncomfortable commutes, or, worse, a dimly lit cubicle with poor ventilation. By removing these and switching to a work from home schedule, it can greatly lower stress and the risk of burnout.

Avoid commuting

The absence of money wasted in commuting and travel is an obvious benefit for many remote employees. Yet, another big benefit of skipping the morning commute is on health. Forbes argues that while people commuting to offices they were less likely to exercise and eat well; remote workers don’t have those barriers.

Have an available caregiver for their children

Without the need for long commutes to work and travel to other cities and countries, people find that they have a lot more time for their families. This new “found time” can be used to care for their young children or take on the role of a caregiver when childcare is not available. It can also be used to bond with their children, engage in play together, and maybe turn a defiant child into a cooperative one.

Learn some impressive communication skills

There is nothing quite like meeting with your customers in their place of business, especially in retail settings, to build communication skills and improve every technique from how you present your ideas to how you sell certain products. But this doesn’t have to stop with working remotely. Remote employees use different platforms like Google Meet, Zoom, etc. to serve the same need—communicating with their customers. Over time, they will learn some seriously impressive communication skills while working remotely.

Have team bonding exercises (all through the internet)

A great debate is raging in companies over whether employees will experience decreases in collaboration and communication due to a lack of face-to-face conversations. While this may seem true for most remote employees, there are easy ways to fix this, namely through online team-building exercises. And is it as good as in-person team bonding? Fortunately, the answer is a sound yes!

Play virtual games or have virtual meetups

How can companies replace the fun that happens when people work together in the office? The answer is in scheduling a virtual meetup that essentially mimics being in an office environment and that is centered around ice breaker activities. Sometimes remote employees take these ‘virtual meetups’ to the next level by including a virtual happy hour where team members are encouraged to enjoy a drink or treat of their choosing and play a game together online.

Encourage horizontal interactions with no leadership gaps

Previously, remote working was seen as more of a “perk.” Now, leaders recognise that companies with flexible remote work policies can attract and retain top talents. This makes it even more possible to move away from hierarchical organisations and leadership gaps, and nearer to a culture that allows for increased equality.

Know how to use certain awesome tools, in managing time and meetings

There are many advantages to remote work and one of them is being able to explore new tools that can simplify the process of remote working. These tools can range from email marketing tools with analytics and collaboration tools to feedback tools and time management tools. Needless to say, there are obvious benefits in learning these tools since they are the very reason companies are delivering first-class services and products. In addition, these tools might also teach them how to take ownership of their work, which ultimately, keep them more productive and happy.

In summary, remote work gives employees the freedom to be productive and have a life outside the office. Employees may find long-term remote work an option easy enough to embrace slowly and strategically moving forward.