The work environment is fast changing as many companies are moving to hybrid or fully virtual offices / working environments. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual working has become a major pursuit for many companies and employees.
As the concept takes root, the pros and cons are already evident. One of the pros is the improved work-life balance. Employees consider it a perfect solution to achieve work-life balance; various studies and agencies also support this. The work-life balance is critical for companies due to impacts on productivity and employee performance hence the rising support for virtual offices.
Due to the benefits like high performance, time-saving, change of environment, and impact on stress, virtual working arrangements can be the greatest tool for employees to maintain a balance. Besides the benefits, the resources provided can greatly help maintain the balance.
Here are some ways in which virtual offices are boosting the work-life balance for employee
1. Impact on Stress
One of the challenges affecting employees is the stress levels that could arise due to the nature of their duties and other activities. The virtual offices eliminate some of this stress enabling employees to have the peace of mind ideal for engaging in other social activities.
It saves employees from the stress of strict, negative-energy bosses, especially those that affect their moods in the morning. Most employees with harsh bosses will likely appreciate the benefits of not seeing them in the morning. This enables them to have positive vibes and to complete work faster without fear and stress. They can then spare time for other activities, such as informal gatherings.
As confirmed by various studies, employee productivity in virtual working arrangements also improves. This is due to the freedom and other sources of inspiration to complete tasks hence limited stress. Employees can accomplish more on remote working due to flexible working arrangements enabling them to work at any time, even at night.
2. Improved Support Systems
Virtual working environments will likely have more support systems than in-office arrangements. Due to the nature of the work, managers must have positive relationships with employees to support their needs. Organizations offer additional resources to help employees work better virtually.
Most companies are considering adopting cheap virtual office services to support employees virtually. This includes contact services, communications, and support systems to help them with any challenges. Other offices also offer mental support services for employees to excel in their new work environments.
For employees who need to work as a team, there are meeting rooms or co-working spaces to ensure team productivity. Employees can rely on virtual offices for other needs, such as scanning, printing, administrative assistance, and in-person meetings.
Additionally, all companies are adopting monitoring and supervision systems that integrate remote collaboration and communication systems for managers to keep in touch with employees. Streamlined collaboration and communications eliminate unnecessary stress, especially when they do not know how to accomplish various activities. The communication systems also enable them to keep in touch with their colleagues, eliminating isolation.
3. Diverse Working Environment
At the workplace, employees can interact with others; however, this environment is the same and hardly changes. Virtual working changes the concept of a working environment granting employees the chance to work from anywhere.
As long as you have all the necessary resources or can access any of them, you can work in various environments. You can travel to a new location and work from there. At home, you can work in open spaces such as a patio or backyard, hence the benefits of diverse working options. The advantage of working in various environment is the freedom, peace, no stress, and exploring new aspects besides being on a work schedule.
You also have the option to work closer to family and relatives. You interact with the family and spend quality time with relatives, boosting the social aspects of your life. Working in such environments saves you the stress of working in an unchanged office environment. Office environments can be filled with negative energy and disruptions, eventually affecting your mood, stress levels, and happiness.
4. Time-Saving Aspects
One of the disadvantages of working at the office is the amount of time one spends on getting to the job. In the developing metropolis globally, people are forced to move or live closer to their offices to save time. A major time waster in an employee’s life is the duration they spend going to and from work.
Averagely employees spend up to about an hour in traffic jams to and from the office. This valuable time could be spent on other activities such as relating and spending with family. In congested cities, traffic is a major hindrance for employees to spend time with their families. With the virtual office concept, no time is wasted; employees are always closer to friends and family, enabling them to boost quality family time.
5. Additional Experience
Employees are likely to engage in self-improvement activities when working virtually. Due to the nature of the work, most employees are likely to learn additional skills related or unrelated to their jobs. These skills can greatly improve their performance and professional image and get them a promotion, boosting their satisfaction and happiness.
As organizations encourage remote working, they also encourage employees to get better, learn new skills and be proud of themselves, their social status, and their professional profile. This is ideal to help them move to the job they desire, get a promotion and eliminate the stress usually accompanied by the feeling of being stuck at a certain position.
6. Productivity and Performance
One of the factors likely to affect employee lifestyle and work-life balance is productivity goals and their current performance. Due to changes in the environment, employee productivity is likely to improve due to peace of mind. Additionally, virtual working also climate time wasters such as commuting, disruptions, office commotions, and other issues. The time can be redirected to other productivity agenda.
Eventually, productivity and performance levels are likely to improve. As their job satisfaction improves, they are likely to have limited stress and can spare time for other personal activities to boost their social lives. Studies also confirm that remote-working employees will likely have a better work-life balance due to high productivity and performance levels.
Companies will benefit from these arrangements regarding meeting deadlines and high production volumes. In return, employees will likely get bonuses and promotions without much stress. All these benefits lead to life achievement such as achieving needs such as self-esteem and actualization needs, as covered in the Maslow hierarchy of human needs.
Achieving Maslow’s needs will likely boost work-life balance leading to concepts such as happiness, satisfaction, pride, and self-accomplishment. Companies can greatly benefit from confident, high-esteemed, and actualized employees.
Conclusion
Achieving a work-life balance is a constant challenge for employees. Despite the virtual working arrangement being ideal for work-life balance, employees will likely be stuck in the old dilemma.
The trick is to explore the benefits and opportunities the new working arrangement provides to achieve a work-life balance. Exploit the freedom, time-saving aspects, and resources provided to create the perfect balance.
Watch this space for updates in the Opinion category on Running Wolf’s Rant.
Explore the site, check out our Featured Posts or scroll down to see the articles that are related to this article below. We've been around since 2008, so there's plenty of content.
If you're in South Africa and looking for something to do, check out The SA Gig Guide (on our sister site SA Music Zone).
If getting more knowledge is part of your DNA - Check out the latest posts on Interesting Facts.