Advantages and Disadvantages of WFH and How to Do it Properly

The advantages and disadvantages of WFH have become a very popular topic of discussion during the COVID-19 pandemic. After the pandemic has subsided, the system is still being implemented because some people see it as providing significant benefits to both employees and the company. In addition, WFH is also ineffective for certain work tasks, which creates several drawbacks.

In this discussion session, the topics we will review are the advantages and disadvantages of WFH as well as guidelines for living it. Next, let’s look at what WFH is and what are the rules for doing it.

What is WFH?

Work from home (WFH) is a working model that allows employees of a company or individuals as freelancers to do their work from any location without having to come to the office every day. If anything, the WFH work system has existed since before the COVID-19 pandemic and was adopted by independent workers such as writers, entrepreneurs, and consultants.

The era of increasingly advanced technology provides opportunities to get work at any location, which makes the WFH work model increasingly popular. WFH is considered very flexible because workers can manage their own time and are more relaxed at work without being affected by general office hours.

The WFH work model allows companies to save on operational costs such as office rental costs and inventory costs so that they can be allocated to more important interests. In addition, discipline and good time management are needed so that each work target can be completed on time. Adequate equipment and a suitable work environment are important parts of getting the most out of the work being done.

Read also: 15 Work From Home Apps to Make You More Productive

Advantages of WFH

Company employees or individual freelancers have the opportunity to determine a comfortable work environment according to their preferences to be able to increase their focus, creativity, and of course productivity. Regarding the advantages of WFH, we will review them one by one below.

1. Saves Costs

People who work on-site have to pay for transportation and meals, and those who use personal vehicles have to make additional expenses for refueling. Compared to those working from home, their work doesn’t have to cost money as just mentioned. In terms of expenses, WFH is much more economical and potential expenditures can be allocated for other purposes.

2. Becomes More Flexible

Choosing to work from home makes you more flexible in determining where to work. Work can be done on the terrace of the house, room, garden behind the house, or other comfortable space to work. In addition, you don’t have to follow office hours in general so you can determine working hours according to the time you have set yourself.

3. Has More Time with the Family

WFH workers will surely agree with this benefit. They choose to work from home because they can enjoy lots of time with their families and be closer. Even so, they still share their time so that the work can still be completed according to the allotted time.

4. Increases Productivity

Starting the day with positive energy is very important which helps one to go through the whole day smoothly and enthusiastically complete his tasks. Working on-site can cause many distractions that affect your energy such as experiencing traffic jams, hearing problematic co-workers, lots of delayed work, and other problems that interfere with concentration. All of these distractions can be avoided by working from your home in a more upbeat way.

5. Adds Work Satisfaction

Many distractions might stress you out and reduce your focus at work. The reason why working from home is better is because of higher focus so that a lot of work can be completed according to the allotted time. Targets achieved from good work results will certainly increase satisfaction at work and this will increase a sense of loyalty to the company.

Read also: How to Manage Your Employees Correctly

Disadvantages of WFH

The explanation above has told you what are the advantages of working from home. For those who do WFH, this working model helps to achieve some of the things we described above. But of course, there are disadvantages to WFH that we need to be aware of.

1. No Regular Work Hours

The WFH work model is very flexible and this means you don’t have disciplined working hours like working in an office. Flexible working hours can make you ignore some priority work and be undisciplined at work.

2. Prone to Miscommunication

One of the challenges when working from home is that communication often doesn’t go well, which affects what needs to be done. So that this can be avoided, they need to always be connected with colleagues online so that it is easy to coordinate and discuss their work.

3. Lots of Distractions

The next challenge is that the work process cannot run smoothly because there are distractions either from people around or other things that can disrupt the focus of work. The distracted focus will prevent someone from completing work on time.

4. Decreasing Work Motivation

The work environment is one of the factors to build work motivation. A competitive and creative environment can more easily help increase someone’s work motivation even more so that they always want to move forward. They become easy to communicate with and can more easily follow someone who excels as a role model.

5. Some Tasks are Unable to be Done Remotely

The last disadvantage is the conditions and needs of a job. Some jobs can indeed be done from home, but among all, many tasks need to be completed by coming to the office.

Read also: 5 Roles of Information Technology in Business in the Digital Era

Tips for WFH to Stay Productive

Here are some tips for working from home (WFH) effectively that you can apply.

1. Set a Routine

Set a consistent work schedule every day. Get up at the same time as you do in the office and set break times and finish times. This will help maintain discipline and manage productivity.

2. Create a Comfortable Work Area

Find a comfortable, quiet place in your home to serve as a work area. Make sure you have a large enough table, ergonomic chairs, and adequate lighting. Avoid working from bed or couch, as it reduces focus and productivity.

3. Proper Attire

Even if you work at home, dress the way you would when you went to the office. Dressing neatly will help you get into work mode and increase your professionalism and concentration.

4. Stay Connected with the Team

Make sure you connect with your team regularly through company-provided communication tools, such as email, instant messaging, or video calls. Stay active in communicating and collaborating with colleagues to maintain good team relations.

5. Manage Priorities and Schedules

Make a list of tasks that need to be completed and prioritize your work. Set realistic deadlines and stick to the schedule you’ve created. This will help avoid delays and keep your work organized.

6. Avoid Distractions

Commit to avoiding distractions around you while at work. Turn off notifications on your personal cell phone, avoid watching television, or interacting with family members who distract you. If possible, let family members know you’re working and ask for privacy during work hours.

7. Rest and Stay Balance

Just like in the office, adequate rest is important to maintain a balance between work and personal life. Take scheduled breaks to eat, take short breaks, and do light physical activity. Don’t forget to take care of your body and mind health.

8. Stay in touch with HR

If you have any questions or concerns regarding WFH, don’t hesitate to communicate with the HR department. They can provide any guidance, assistance, or advice needed to successfully WFH.

9. Improve Personal Skills

Take advantage of the extra time you have as a result of not having to commute to the office to improve your skills and knowledge. Take the opportunity to attend online training, webinars, or read books relevant to your work

That was our explanation of the advantages and disadvantages of WFH. Every company surely has its policy to implement the work model as we described above.

For those of you who want to apply the same work model, you should consider all the things that have been explained earlier so that the work can be completed on time. However, if you work for a technology company outside Indonesia or become a virtual assistant, you must be prepared to work remotely.It’s a different story if the company is engaged in an industry such as the oil and gas industry which requires workers to work on-site either domestically or abroad.

In carrying out work from home, of course, all work devices such as laptops, WiFi, and others must be available. In addition, you can try the state-of-the-art Digital Signature service from AdIns which is useful to support the acceleration of the approval process for important documents even when working from home. Contact our team for further information on how to apply for using Digital Signature by AdIns!