Working from home after COVID19 has mixed reviews.
By Rachel Loud
Telecommuting is here to stay. The work from home economy that boosted during COVID-19 changed the dynamic of companies, but whether that change is for better or worse varies depending on who you ask.
Alanna Brewster, a high school student from Weymouth, Mass who has worked in the family-run Brewster Ambulance billing department for the past four years, said she has been more productive since switching to remote work.
“At least in my case since I’m still in high school when I can work remotely I can put in more hours because I don’t need to worry about how long it will take me to get home after work or get to work from school,” Brewster said.
A study published in June, 2020 by the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR) found that 42 percent of workers in America now work from home full time.
The U.S. economy is moving to a work from home economy, but that poses risks for many employees in retail, health care, transportation, and business services who cannot do their jobs anywhere other than their traditional workplace. Remote employees also require efficient internet connection at home. These factors could lead to “a ticking inequality time bomb,” the study said.
Brewster admits working from home has not been perfect.
“Sometimes I feel less motivated because I’m at my house. I do believe Zoom fatigue is a real thing since I experience it a lot with remote learning from school. But I haven’t really experienced it as much with work,” Brewster said.
Brewster still prefers to work from home because the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.
“I can just focus more on the actual work and there's less distractions. I think it’s made me happier. I feel like the dynamic of my office could bring down my mood sometimes because whenever people around me were in a bad mood, I would be in a bad mood and I feel like now that I am at home I’m in a better mood more often,” Brewster said.
Overall, the switch to telecommuting has been positive, she said.
Adam Brewster, the director of human resources for Brewster Ambulance for three years, recognizes the benefits of telecommuting for himself and his employees.
There is a better work-life balance since they save time and money on not commuting, he said.
The downside has been a decrease in productivity among their employees, which affects the company directly, he said.
“There is less oversight, on the spot support, and engagement between peers. When employees are less productive it impacts our collections rate which impacts our incoming revenues,” Adam said.
Adam also personally prefers to work in the office.
“Working from home, sometimes I find it hard to disconnect from work. When I'm in the office, it's more engaging. I feel part of a team and it better fits my personality,” Adam said.
Tamara Moran from Yarmouth, Maine is the president of her own company called Town Pride Custom Goods which makes custom curated gifts and apparel. All of her employees work remotely throughout the country.
One of the biggest advantages of using telecommuting has been being able to hire great employees regardless of their location, Moran said.
There are also downsides.
“I prefer to be in the office, since I can be more focused and there are less distractions. There's also less team interaction and collaboration,” she said.
Anne Bailey, who has worked as a practice coordinator at Brigham and Women's Hospital for four years, said telecommuting has been a plus.
“After switching to telecommuting we’ve seen an increase in productivity because employees are willing to work earlier or later because they are already home,” Bailey said.
She has not experienced Zoom fatigue, and she appreciates not spending money on gas for commuting, lunch, or work clothes, she said.
“It has affected our company positively. There's less time off needed when you’re working from home,” Bailey said.
The SIEPR study also found that over time, full time remote employees gain a sense of loneliness due to the lack of human connections that an office offers, which leads to a lack of motivation, and therefore a lack of productivity.
The best way to avoid this would be working from home part time, maybe one to three days a week, and going into the office for the remaining days, also known as hybrid working.
“I like to be hybrid, it's the best of both worlds,” Bailey said.
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