Thanks to the development of technology, we have the possibility to work in many different forms that are more beneficial to us. In the era of the pandemic, for a long time some people worked in remote form. Although remote working has become more popular because of the pandemic threat, many employees would permanently prefer to work in this form, as they would not have to waste time commuting and could work at their own pace. The dynamic labour market and the globalisation and digitalisation of companies has meant that more and more employers are offering this form of collaboration. But is it profitable?

Remote working - definition

Współczesny świat jest tak dynamiczny, że firmy, które pragną się rozwijać, muszą dopasować się do nowoczesnych technologii. Pracę zdalną można zdefiniować jako organizowanie i wykonywanie pracy poza miejscem zatrudnienia z jednoczesnym przekazywaniem pracodawcy wyników. W Artykule 67¹⁸ Kodeksu Pracy istnieje zapis, że „praca może być wykonywana całkowicie lub częściowo w miejscu wskazanym przez pracownika i każdorazowo uzgodnionym z pracodawcą, w tym pod adresem zamieszkania pracownika, w szczególności z wykorzystaniem środków bezpośredniego porozumiewania się na odległość (praca zdalna)”. Wynika z tego, że miejsce wykonywania pracy musi być zawsze uzgodnione z pracodawcą. Kodeks pracy wyróżnia też trzy rodzaje pracy zdalnej:

1. Remote work on a permanent basis;
2. Partial remote working - otherwise known as hybrid working;
3. Remote occasional work - up to 24 days per year.

Advantages of remote working

Like any other form of work, remote working has many advantages. The employee has a greater sense of freedom and freedom of action than in the office. One of the main reasons why most people favour the remote form is the flexible working hours. When working remotely, most of the time you do not have to perform duties at specific times or in a specific place, and everything can be adapted to your needs. This has the effect of saving time, which is also a very important element of remote employment. There is no need to waste time and money on commuting, and the hours saved can be used to spend time with family and friends. A large proportion of people feel more comfortable in the familiar surroundings of their own home, which has a positive effect on focus and increases the efficiency of employees. The employer can also see many advantages of working remotely, such as, among others, lower employee costs, fewer redundancies and lower turnover, as a large proportion of employees prefer this form of employment.

Negative aspects of remote working

Despite the many advantages of working remotely, there are also many disadvantages, such as, for example, the lack of integration with other employees. Working from home without contact with other people, it is very easy to feel lonely and alienated, which in turn can negatively affect our mental health and motivation, and thus also our work-life balance. When working remotely, it is important to maintain a work-life balance, which can prove difficult when working in the same place as our daily lives. It can also be more difficult to organise work as there are many distractions. For employers, a negative aspect is the inability to monitor an employee's progress and the lack of confidence in the tasks completed. He or she is not sure if the employee is working the full range of hours or not.

In summary, remote working can in many cases prove to be productive and motivating for employees. When we work in a comfortable environment, we are more motivated and focused. However, it is important not to forget to strike a balance and organise your own work properly, in such a way as to maximise your efficiency.