Working from home (WFH), or ‘remote work’ as it’s also called, has irrefutably changed the work landscape in South Africa, allowing people to hop on the flexibility train and achieve more work-life balance. Supposedly, working from home is the best thing for employees and businesses, offering flexibility, cost savings, increased productivity, as well as improved employee loyalty and employer branding. 

But is WFH really all rainbows and happy employees? There are multiple reports of limited social interaction, connectivity issues hindering performance, and blurred boundaries. Challenges that beg us to look a little deeper before deciding if this is the right move – whether you’re sitting on the employer or employee side of the line.

Let’s explore the intricacies of remote work and what possible solutions there could be in order to overcome its limitations for success.

The Challenges of Remote Work

While remote work has all the advantageous gleam and glimmer of improved this and increased that, there are a few limitations. Limitations that anyone interested in WFH needs to understand.

Starting with the fact that remote work can be isolating. Working in your own home can lead to feeling disconnected from your colleagues and the company culture, resulting in feelings of loneliness and a lack of motivation. It’s a vicious cycle that ultimately could end with you losing your job, either because you’re no longer fulfilling your contractual obligations or because you’ve quit as a means to getting out of your slump.

Additional WFH limitations include:

• Communication and Collaboration: You may struggle to communicate effectively with your colleagues, leading to misunderstandings, less collaboration, and delays in projects.
• Distractions and Time Management: Working from home opens you to distractions, from the fridge to family members, pets, and household admin. This can make it difficult to manage time effectively and meet deadlines.
• Technology and Infrastructure: You absolutely need reliable, high-speed Internet and secure communication tools and will undoubtedly face challenges if you don’t have access to these resources.

Can You Overcome WFH Challenges?

The short answer is yes, you could realistically identify the most relevant challenges to either your staff or yourself and create solutions that make the most sense for your circumstances.

The most important solution, as an employer, is to create a strong, supportive company culture. You may have to first identify the culture that exists in your company before working to establish one that supports employees in their roles, aligns them to your goals, and facilitates remote work. Doing do should promote collaboration, communication, and social interaction.

Of course, a strong culture is nothing without training, support, and infrastructure. Remote work might come naturally to some, but it can be a difficult transition for others. Training can really help employees adapt, improve their communication skills plus time management, and give them adequate know-how on the use of digital tools that will ensure they are always on the same page as the rest of the team.

Speaking of tools, the WFH approach will absolutely not work if you don’t have access to high-speed internet, secure communication tools, and other resources necessary for remote work. This is paramount to ensuring that remote work is successful, and either you as the employee or as the employer will need to invest in the appropriate technology and infrastructure.

Lastly, a key solution to overcoming the limitations of remote working is a strong focus on employee wellbeing. Despite working out-of-office, people still need to feel connected, which makes it important that there be access to resources and support for mental health. We’re talking about counselling services and wellness programmes, which can help workers manage stress and maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Feeling Informed?

If you really want it, and you can do it, a successful WFH approach that benefits both workers and the organisation is entirely possible.

We trust that this advice is useful, and don’t forget that AA Inform is home to a range of useful tools and resources – including our Home Affordability Calculator which will give you an estimate of how much you can afford, as well as our Personal Loan Calculator.