3 Drawbacks to Remote Work

Like many employees, you may want a job that lets you work remotely. If so, you probably want to avoid a commute, set your own hours, and handle personal tasks during the day.

However, as with any job, remote work has disadvantages that can impact your professional and personal life. As a result, you should think about the adverse aspects of remote work before applying for a job.

Consider these three drawbacks before applying for remote work.


1. Difficulty Separating Work and Personal Time

Working remotely can encourage you to put in additional hours for your job each week. For many employees, this averages 2 hours per day.

Increasing the amount of time dedicated to your job takes away time dedicated to your self-care. Over time, this can lead to burnout.

To combat this issue, you need to establish boundaries between your professional and personal time. The following suggestions can help:

  • Begin and end work at the same time each day.
  • Walk away from your desk for a 5- to 10-minute break every hour. Include an hour for lunch every day.
  • Limit your meetings to 45 minutes. Use the following 15 minutes for breaks.
  • Finish each day in the same manner. This may include reviewing the day’s accomplishments, writing your to-do list for the next day of work, or taking a walk.

2. Disconnection from Coworkers

Remote work typically provides few opportunities for in-person conversations or collaboration. This can lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation from coworkers.

As a result, you need to take steps to reduce disconnection from the outside world. These tips can help:

  • Schedule activities with family and friends.
  • Set up coffee, lunch, or an online chat session with coworkers.
  • Participate in a social activity such as joining a book club, learning to play an instrument, or kayaking with a group.

3. Bias for Working Remotely

Because you aren’t in the office, your manager may not acknowledge your accomplishments as much as your onsite teammates. You also might not be asked to participate in meetings that impact your job. Plus, you could miss out on casual conversations with your manager that may lead to promotions.

When looking for a job, you can alleviate these issues by talking with the interviewer. Be sure to cover the following areas:

  • Find out how the team maintains communication.
  • Ask how employee performance is evaluated and recognized.
  • Learn which policies and strategies are in place to ensure remote employees have opportunities to advance.

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