So what’s the deal with Remote & “Flexible” work schedules?

Workin’ 9 to 5
What a way to make a livin’
Barely gettin’ by
It’s all takin’ and no givin’

They just use your mind
And they never give you credit
It’s enough to drive you
Crazy if you let it

As much as any 25 year old woman just looking to make her way in the world can relate to Dolly Parton, currently I do not have the misfortune of relating to her song “9 To 5”. Why? Three magic words: Work. From. Home.

Working from home has slowly been becoming more and more popular as the occupations of western society have become more and more modern. Is this a good or bad thing? Well, in all honesty, it really does depend on what type of worker you are. Some people need that structure of the 9 to 5 to stay productive, while others feel trapped and under perform due to additional stress. So is remote working right for you? Let’s analyse the pros and cons;

The Upsides

1. You work when you are most productive, and as a result you get more work done. You don’t ever have to “look busy” when you’re working from home. If you’re more productive at 11 pm, so be it! Just make sure to be around for core business hours, the rest is flexible.
2. Save money AND time. Commuting can be pricey by both public transit and gas standards. Plus who really LIKES sitting on the subway for 45 minutes with people invading your bubble space? Remote work removes both of these issues.
3. Convenience. If you run a household, or even if it’s just you at home with a cat, sometimes it’s just very convenient to be working from home. Imagine never missing an Amazon package delivery again!
4. Not a people person? Hate micromanagement? Perfect! Introverts rejoice! If you work best left alone, this is the perfect autonomous way to work.
5. You can work from anywhere. As long as you have a wifi connection, the world is your oyster! Who says you can’t work while sunbathing on a beach in Mexico? Just be sure to let your management know about your travel days!

The Downsides

1. The “WHAT YEAR IS IT?” feeling. Everything is fine and dandy until you realize you haven’t seen the sun in over 4 days and you’ve been wearing your duck printed PJ pants for FAR too long. Avoid the hermit crab mentality, or at least remember to shower.
2. You need to be self disciplined. No one is there to babysit you and make sure you do all of your work. While at an office it is very easy to “look busy” this is not an option for the remote worker. If you don’t work, you’re let go. So make sure you know how to focus on your tasks if you want to work from home.
3. The lines between working and living can become blurred. Working from home doesn’t mean you get to work less. Often you can find yourself working 10+ hours a day and not even realizing it if you’re not careful. Another tip is to be sure to separate your work space from your living space.
4. Don’t let your health suffer. While remote work relieves much of the mental stress of a 9 to 5 position, don’t forget your body needs some form of movement everyday! It’s important to still get in a few walks here and there. And coffee 3 times a day does NOT count as meals!

While people not familiar with remote work can look down upon your loosey-goosey schedule, it really is a format that promotes quality of work over time of work. Tech companies and entertainment companies alike have been hoping on the flexible work time for years, and this model isn’t going anywhere but up.

Ready Makers Inc, the company I work (remotely!) for has fully embraced this model, and it has been going great for everyone in our Start Up. We are a diverse group of around 20 people ALL working remotely. We span across three continents and quite a few countries — Canada, America, Chile, and Russia just to name a few. That’s A LOT of time zones to coordinate, but we do so through carefully coordinated meetings a few times a week. Luckily, we have Slack — one of the best collaboration tools on the market in my opinion— and a VERY large Google Drive to help keep us organized.

Remember: with any good business and work ethic, communication is key. As long as you have that, you’ll always be on the right track to happy employees who get the job done.

Until next time —
Sami-Jo Perruzza
Social Media & Community Lead | Ready Makers Inc
sami-jo@getready.io