Isolation is one of the biggest challenges

As the Coronavirus lockdown results in an increased amount of working from home, 20% of remote workers report struggling with loneliness. As more work remotely in the future this will increase, yet this aspect of home working is among the least discussed. Talk about home working with many and it’ll probably result in a conversation about answering emails whilst dressed in pyjamas! However, far less discussion takes place about how lonely it can be when home working.

The loneliness of the long-distance worker is an enigmatic issue. On one hand, solitude can be immensely beneficial to productivity. On the other, constant isolation can quickly become its own terrible distraction.

Business Insider* recently asked people who work remotely to share what they found challenging in their work arrangements. Here’s what a couple of respondents had to say.

“With no colleagues in your living room, socializing with your peers can be a challenge and make home working pretty lonely”.

“Without having an office where you need to share pleasantries with your colleagues, boss, and clients, you need to find alternative methods of socializing with people in your own time.” “It can be hard, especially for an introvert, to muster up the motivation to go out and meet people after a long day of work.”

The lack of interaction that accompanies home working can also be detrimental to team building, often achieved during meetings, lunches, or even water cooler conversations.

Through not regularly attending a corporate office and having the opportunity to mingle with colleagues, home workers can increasingly feel isolated. This then leads to home working employees feeling they don’t belong, that they are outsiders merely looking in. This can then impact on commitment, loyalty, and pride which ultimately reduces corporate cohesion.

A breakdown of effective communication

Frustrations with communication can build if a colleague is unresponsive on a video conferencing call. Email or other online media often compounds a problem.

When working in an office it’s straightforward to meet and discuss a misunderstanding. However, it’s more difficult to get clarity and direct answers if colleagues are uncommunicative on digital channels.

Networking is also much more difficult for home workers as working remotely creates barriers to creating and maintaining colleague relationships.

The challenge of measuring productivity levels

All those home working must have the same understanding of what work patterns and productivity are expected. Suspicion from one or a set of colleagues that others are not “pulling their weight,” can be frustrating and destructive. Therefore targets and possible monitoring need to be agreed and maintained.

Does the removal of the morning commute mean that those home working should be spending this freed-up time working? Similarly, without the unannounced interruptions that are typical of all offices, is it realistic to assume that homeworkers will be able to work continuously without interruptions?

The challenge of avoiding distractions

When home working, it is potentially very easy to get distracted by young children, pets, and household chores. Contrary to statistics provided at this article’s opening, many argue productivity is lower at home than in a traditional office. Supporting this, a recent study by a Quest client, PWC, showed about half of businesses expect a productivity dip during the pandemic. This drop will be due to a lack of home working capability.

A lack of routine and structure can leave room for unnecessary distractions. Unwanted interruptions from friends and family exploiting home workers’ availability. Wanting to sleep in, or the temptation of good weather, outdoor attractions, and ditching work. To achieve qualitative productivity when home working requires discipline and focus.

When working in an office, there is likely to be a fixed structure in place. Everything from agreed office hours to set breaks and lunchtimes. When home working, these time-bound structures will not exist.

One of the biggest challenges faced when home working is to maintain a strict work-life balance. It can, to start with at least, be effortless to overwork. When the home is also the office it is easy for home workers to feel that they never leave work.

Time disciplines need to be set and adhered to. At the end of the normal workday, home workers should resist the urge to check mail and work-based social media. Home working offers temptation to open laptops and do “just five minutes of work,” which quickly becomes an hour. After a time this can become harmful normality, and feelings of burnout can follow.

Technical and laptop issues may not be resolved as quickly as they would in the office, and further add to home working difficulties. Internet connectivity and speeds vary greatly across the country and loss of Wi-Fi add to the challenges of home working.

Video conference technology is still far from perfect, participants often talk over one another, and conversation can be stilted. It is also very easy for the participants in the meeting to “zone out” under the radar. They have a visual presence at the meeting, but their mind is elsewhere.

Revitalising the economy in the months and years ahead

When the Coronavirus crisis passes, creativity will be required to help businesses recover, and the economy to grow again. Yet there is a school of thought which believes home working stifles that very creativity. The continuance of widespread and long-term home working will, therefore, need to be carefully considered across all business sectors.

Some people lack the discipline it takes to focus in an entirely new environment, especially if that involves home working. Others simply can’t work without that busy office buzz or the casual chat and conversation of their cubicle colleagues. Whatever the reason, not everyone is suited to remote work – and that’s okay.