COVID-19’s impact on remote work-life: Top 5 advantages and disadvantages

A new report from entertainment technology company FunCorp takes a hard look at the dramatic differences the COVID-19 crisis imposed on the enterprise, both good and bad.

Coping with the new normal—of working from home, physically isolating from colleagues, and maneuvering the necessary technologies dictated by remote work—was not a choice, but a quickly situated necessity, as workers and office leaders struggled to adapt. The entertainment technology company FunCorp’s CIO Denis Litvinov took a deep dive into how the pandemic affected remote work. Many of those who were working from home (WFH), noted the report, were incredulous that the COVID-19 crisis and the resulting telecommuting was still a thing, seven months later.

As the new normal enters its seventh month of social distancing and mask-wearing, it’s unlikely we’ll be returning to the way things were. Indeed, it is beginning to look like this lifestyle and way of working will be around for quite some time. 

Litvinov’s report is a pull-no-punches look at the 10 most critical factors to the remote work forced on many employees in the industry, and breaks it down into the top five advantages and the top five disadvantages.

FunCorp’s five positives of WFH

• Allows for an appropriate work/home balance. Most businesses are conducted in major metropolitan areas, and employees were previously saddled with commutes, exhausting traffic jams, or queues for public transport. WFH, and especially with entire families quarantining together, employees have the opportunity to spend more time with family and home life. Fun Corp’s surveys found employees are less stressed than before the pandemic. Unfortunately, world events have not and don’t contribute to less stress.

• Productivity and focus are on the uptick. Even though there are distractions in the home, the report found overall concentration at work has improved. With the reduction of external irritants, stress is reduced and assignments are completed more efficiently, quickly and with Reduced stress levels due to lack of external irritants allow tasks to be performed faster with fewer errors or inaccuracies.

Read more: techrepublic