The Benefits and Drawbacks of Keeping Your Business Remote

At one time, the word ‘remote’ would automatically conjure up an image of evenings spent relaxing in front of the television. Then, along came the COVID-19 pandemic, and all of that changed.

Remote working became the norm in 2020 and 2021 when businesses were forced to close their doors in order to slow the spread of the virus. Now that we’re halfway through 2022, many companies are bringing their employees back to the office while others are choosing to continue with home working.

In this article, we’re going to look at some of the pros and cons of continuing with remote working. From pros, such as transferring a commercial lease to someone else and not having to pay for office space anymore, to cons, such as lack of collaboration, we explore them all. Take a look…

The Pros of Remote Working

Remote and hybrid working models mean that employees can complete their work from wherever they may be, whether that’s a home office, a cafe, or even a beach. While some business owners have been fairly vocal about disapproval of home working, including Yahoo and Best Buy, others have embraced these models as the future of work.

Almost one fifth of UK businesses say that they are considering making remote working a permanent thing and, there are some very good reasons why including:

Improved Productivity

Many business owners have discovered that employees are actually more productive when working remotely. A lack of distractions and being able to make their own hours in some cases means that staff are more motivated.

Many employees also tend to work slightly longer hours within the remote model, as a significant number are working during the time that they would previously spend commuting.

Money Saving

Not only does remote working save employee’s money on travel and sundries such as lunches and coffees, it saves businesses cash too. It’s estimated that, for each employee who works from home, businesses can save around £6000 a year.

These savings come from a number of factors including office space, electricity, and hot drinks, as well as the fact that remote employees tend to take fewer sick days.

Businesses that choose to adopt a 100% remote working policy stand to make giant savings on rent or mortgage and utility bills when they no longer have physical business premises.

The Talent Pool

Having had a taste of the benefits that come with working remotely, many employees are simply not willing to return to the traditional, more rigid way of working, as has been seen by ‘The Great Resignation’. This means that employers may now struggle to attract the top talent unless they offer the option of remote working.

By allowing staff to work from home, an employer has a significantly higher chance of being able to cherry-pick the employees that their business needs to succeed.

The Cons of Remote Working

While we’ve laid out some pretty compelling arguments for remote working, not everybody is convinced, and, here’s why:

Collaboration

Some employers feel that collaboration suffers when employees are working remotely. Many have stated frustration in having to call, email, or message an employee when, before, they would have been able to simply walk over to his or her desk and ask a question.

This was the case for web services provider, Yahoo, who canceled its work from home policy via a memo from its Head of Human Resources, Jackie Reses, which stated, “Speed and quality are often sacrificed when we work from home, and, for the rest of us who occasionally have to stay home for the cable guy, please use your best judgment in the spirit of collaboration.”

Self-discipline

While, as we’ve mentioned, some businesses saw an uptick in productivity when employees were working remotely, this hasn’t been the case for everyone. Some companies, like Reddit, felt that their staff were simply not ‘wired’ for remote working and, subsequently, didn’t have the required self-discipline to be as productive or creative when working from home.

Property Costs

A large number of UK companies lease the property that their business operates from, and these leases tend to have pretty strict rules and penalties. Although a lease can be terminated under a break clause, this is usually only possible during certain times and under certain circumstances. This means that, if employees are working remotely, the business may be paying the lease on a property that is unoccupied.

One way of getting around this is to transfer the lease to another tenant – essentially, handing over the space to somebody else who will then continue to pay the lease. This can be done through the process of assignment.

While this is absolutely possible, it can be quite a complicated process, however, a good commercial solicitor will be able to help you to navigate this complex area.

Do the Pros of Remote Working Outweigh to Cons?

Remote working is widely believed to offer employees a better work/life balance while allowing them to more effectively manage their workload alongside other commitments, such as childcare. As well as being great for employees, there are some pretty substantial benefits for employers too, including increased productivity, money savings, and environmental factors. For example, the company will reduce its carbon footprint when employees are no longer traveling to work five days a week.

With remote working, hybrid models, and the widespread introduction of the four-day work week, there’s no doubt that the way we work is changing and, while it may take a little time for some businesses to adjust, the traditional workplace may well become a thing of the past sooner rather than later.

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