Working from home was almost unheard of until the global pandemic starting in March 2020 changed the world forever. Although working from home became a vital way for people to still work during the pandemic whilst also staying safe and adhering to the government’s social distancing restrictions, the concept has still remained four years later. This raises the question: what is preferred, working from home or office work? While it is obvious that this is different for each individual person, as a whole, which the favoured method of working?
The global pandemic of Covid-19 sparked the initial idea for the vast majority of people to work from home. During the pandemic, even students had to work from home for some time, seeing their teachers and lecturers on teams’ calls. Now, working from home is a normal thing for companies to allow their employees to do. Some people prefer to work from the comfort of their own home, with the independence to work on their own, which is why working from home can be a perfect option for some people. Furthermore, the ability to work from home allows for people to work for companies they don’t live near to and gives opportunities that people otherwise wouldn’t have access to. However, the downsides that come with working from home have become apparent since this method of working has grown increasingly popular. The lack of social interaction has reportedly had a negative effect on the mental health of some people working from their home, with some people reporting that since working from home they rarely have need to leave the house.
Working from an office building is the stereotypical way for companies to work. While getting up early and going to work with other people in an office building may be some people’s worst nightmare, it has been proven that working amongst other people and building friendships and relationships with co-workers improves the mental health of people working for the company. Having a sense of routine and normalcy for staff can improve the quality of the work produced by individuals. Furthermore, being able to collaborate on projects in person increases the productivity of the workers and therefore boosts the standards of work completed.
Overall, whilst it has become obvious that there is a place in our society for the ‘working from home’ approach some companies have adopted, it is still of huge importance that companies have spaces where their staff can work in-person with their colleagues.
