We’ve all seen the memes on social media. Workers sat in bed, their laptops open while they dive into their inbox, still wearing pyjamas. Or other workers smoothing a PowerPoint into shape from a park bench. One image of two developers working on their laptops beside a swimming pool raised more than a few eyebrows on Instagram.

And yes, remote working can sound like living the dream. Better flexibility as to where and how you work has been a real benefit to huge swathes of workers. It’s hardly surprising so many people hoped that the move to remote working might lead to a permanent change in how we use the office.

But there’s a problem. There has been an increase in demand for remote working opportunities alongside the increased rhetoric from companies and high-profile figures who want people ‘back in the office’. With businesses trying to coax people out of their living rooms, it’s now time to explore the impact of remote work on those who do it.

Changing Priorities of Jobseekers

It’s worth examining why remote workers are now actively seeking fully remote positions. Some of that is due to the changing work/life priorities of workers. Before the pandemic, people felt they had to live near their workplace. That could mean high property prices for those nearby, or extortionate transport fares for those who needed to commute from cheaper areas further away.

With remote work as a possibility, people could leave expensive cities like London. Londoners bought more than 112,000 homes outside the city in 2021. That’s 62% more than in 2020.

Workers dropped out of the traditional rat race and moved to cheaper, more enjoyable, or less stressful environments. This was particularly true of workers with families, who could suddenly move to larger yet cheaper homes, often with outside space attached.

Workers enjoyed being able to connect remotely to their offices, only going into the office occasionally for more formal group meetings or informal socialising. Instead of working to live, employees could live to work.

The Importance of Wellbeing

There’s a prevailing view that employees see remote working as being better for wellbeing. The lack of a commute gives workers more time with children or more time to pursue hobbies. This ties into the changing work/life balance we’ve already discussed.

Lawyer Jennifer Sim moved back to Shetland during the pandemic and found it possible to continue her work with law firm Brodies. She noted the happiness brought by the peaceful setting and the sense of belonging she felt being back in her home community. All of this was made possible by remote work.

Workers with disabilities found the move to remote work more beneficial for their mental health. Being able to work in an environment already customised to their needs is less stressful than the one-size-fits-all approach of the office. Removing the exhaustion of a commute is also helpful, as is the ability to attend appointments during the day. Workers also didn’t feel the need to hide their disabilities, further removing a source of stress from their working day.

The header image is by charlesdeluvio on Unsplash