Remote Essentials

 

What does remote working mean?

Remote working means that an employee works mostly from home or a chosen location that is not the company’s office. In this situation, the employee communicates with the company utilizing email or telephone.

What are remote employees?

Remote employees work mostly from home or a chosen location that is not the company’s office. In this situation, the employee communicates with the company by email or telephone.

Does remote mean work from home?

Remote work can mean working from home but is not limited to that. Primarily remote means anywhere else than the office.

Does telecommute mean work from home?

Telecommute can mean working from home but is not limited to it. Essentially it means working from anywhere else than the office.

What is a telecommuting position?

A telecommuting position is one where rather than traditional commuting, you are “commuting” by means of email or telephone. Telecommuting jobs are mostly done from home offices or another remote location, but they may be part-time telecommuting, meaning that the company requires occasional meetings in the office.

What is a remote position?

A remote position is one that is done outside of the office in a chosen location. This could mean either work done from home, cafe, co-working space, etc. or job done on while traveling in the case of a position that requires it.

What does “flexible working” days mean?

Flexible working is any change in working pattern from the employees regular working hours or days. It can include, amongst other things, part-time work, reduced hours, later or earlier start or finish times, compressed hours or annualized hours.

What are the benefits of remote work?

Remote work allows an employee greater freedom regarding his or her work hours and works location. It gives the worker more flexibility to balance work and personal undertakings. Often, working remotely makes employees more productive due to the lack of distractions in regular office space. There are also many benefits of remote employment to the companies allowing it — the increased productivity of employees. Telecommuters are also likely to be happier in their jobs and are, therefore, which positively influences the employee turnover. Remote employment can also save companies money in office expenses.

What are the pros and cons of remote work?

The pros of remote work include greater freedom regarding employees’ work hours and work location. It gives the worker more flexibility to balance work and personal undertakings. Often, working remotely makes employees more productive due to the lack of distractions in regular office space. The cons of remote work include the feeling of loneliness or isolation, which you can feel every time your team members are enjoying team building activities or lunch together at the office. Some also find communication harder in the remote work environment as it requires multiple communication tools and explicit language.

What are digital nomads?

Digital nomads work using telecommunications technologies to earn a living and conduct their life in a nomadic manner. Such workers often work remotely from foreign countries, coffee shops, or co-working spaces. They usually travel from one location to another regularly.

How does one become a digital nomad?

The first step to becoming a digital nomad is finding a job that lets you combine work with traveling or convincing your current boss to let you do so. Once you get a remote job, you can begin your nomadic lifestyle. Choose locations based on fast, reliable internet, excellent infrastructure and networking possibilities, such as co-working spaces. Destinations with cheap accommodation, food, and general living expenses include Bali, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and the Czech Republic. When you develop the right balance between work and play, being a digital nomad brings the freedom of working where and when you like.

Do remote workers consider themselves to be in the same group as digital nomads?

Although every digital nomad is a remote worker, not everyone, who works remotely live a nomadic lifestyle. A digital nomad job is remote, and you’re able to travel the world while you do it. These jobs usually do not require you to be online at some specific time and work particular hours. Working remotely, however, does not necessarily mean that an employee is open to travel. There might be remote jobs that require you to stay in a specific timezone. Most of the time, you have to work in the same time zone as everyone in the office.

What is a coworking space?

Coworking space is a type of workplace where workers share the same environment and build a community. Unlike the corporate office, coworking space consists of people who work for various companies, projects, and ventures. The typical user of a coworking facility is self-employed, a telecommuter, or a freelance worker. Some businesses use the spaces to provide employees with equipment, space, and services that they could not otherwise afford. Are freelance jobs always performed remotely? It depends on what kind of freelancer you are and what clients you have. For example, a graphic designer for a startup can work entirely remotely by using collaboration tools while an interior designer can work some time from the client’s location to create the best design.

What is the difference between co-working space and virtual office space?

There is a significant difference between a co-working space and a virtual office. A freelancer choosing a virtual office would not have physical space to work from. Instead, his monthly fee would cover certain benefits and amenities like virtual assistants, reception service, a physical street address, and mail and couriers handling. Coworking space is a type of workplace where workers share the same environment and build a community. Unlike the corporate office, coworking space consists of people who work for various companies, projects, and ventures. A virtual office gives businesses a physical address and office-related services without the overhead of a long lease and administrative staff. With a virtual office, employees can work from anywhere but still utilize a mailing address, phone answering and messaging services, meeting rooms, and video conferencing at a lower cost and with greater flexibility.

What is the difference between remote and work from home?

Generally speaking, remote work and working from home are relatively synonymous, with a slight difference. Remote work implies that the employee works from a chosen location that is not the company’s office. However, not all job done at a distance is done from home—workers may want to work from a coffee shop, coworking space, or an airport lounge.

What is the most significant challenge when it comes to remote working?

The biggest challenges include the feeling of isolation and detachment from the team, and establishing the right work-life balance. Difficulties with communication, especially in different timezones, are common. Some also struggle with self-organization and distractions in the home office. What is the difference between on-site and remote work? Remote working means that an employee works mostly from home or a chosen location that is not the company’s office. In this situation, the employee communicates with the company by the means of email or telephone. Working on-site means being physically at the employer’s place of business and talking face-to-face.

How fast is remote work growing?

Remote work grows fast, and it is estimated that the number of people working remotely can equal to people working in the office by 2025. If you want to get more knowledge on this topic, check out the Buffer’s “State of Remote Work” report created in partnership with Remote-how. How to work remotely as a stay at home mum? You can find a lot of ways to make money while staying at home with your kids. Everything depends on your skills and motivation. Get inspiration by looking at articles with different jobs for stay at home mum. You can find one here.