Remote Work
JOBS & BUSINESSFEATURED
“People are more productive working at home than people would have expected. Some people thought that everything was just going to fall apart, and it hasn’t. And a lot of people are actually saying that they’re more productive now.”
– Mark Zuckerberg -
Remote work is becoming the new norm as the pandemic continues, even as most governments have relaxed restrictions. Although the pandemic is being treated as "over," many people have resisted going back to the office full-time, even as leadership in many organizations has sought the return of the office norms. The acceleration of remote work caused a fundamental shift in how we view work as a society, and it looks like these new attitudes are here to stay. Studies have shown that Americans have reclaimed 60 million of hours of commuting time and are allocating that time to more beneficial uses, such as improving their health and well-being. Economists are looking into the long-term viability of work-from-home policies, and their research shows that even while many people have returned to the office, many more are still entirely remote, and mixed schedules are now common.
According to a Mckinsey Institutes study, 58% of employed respondents say they have the option of working from home for all or part of the week. 35% of those polled believe they can work from home full-time. Another 23% can work from home one to four days per week. Only 13% of employed respondents say they could work remotely at least some of the time but choose not to do so. 41% of employed respondents stated they do not have a choice, which could be due to the fact that not all work can be done remotely. 87% of workers who are offered some remote work take advantage of the opportunity and work from home an average of three days per week. Although 58% of employed respondents say they can work from home at least part of the time, 65% say they would be willing to work from home all of the time. This represents a significant cultural shift in the labor force, and there are varying instances of employers reshaping their employment packages to include remote work as a perk based on this demand.
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York evaluated data from the American Time Use Survey to learn how workers spend their free time. We learn from the numbers that people who work from home tend to maximize the time they would have otherwise spent commuting. With that extra time, people are spending one more hour sleeping, up to two extra hours engaged in home-based amusements and relaxation, as well as spending from 10 to 36 minutes engaged on other projects such as cleaning, home repairs, and cooking.
Younger Americans "reported spending more time at social gatherings, dining out at restaurants or bars, and exercising," the researchers wrote. Other areas that saw growth include care-giving, job hunting, and other sources of revenue like side hustles. Because of the pandemic's effects, workers now have more personal time to devote to hobbies or family. The study found a 2.3-hour increase in leisure time spent alone or with family members. All of this valuable acquired time is something that many people are not willing to give up, so if you are determined to work remote, here are some valuable resources for you.
The SHRM website has a section dedicated to helping remote workers called the Remote Work Resource Center. The website also features news, commentary, and alerts when there are major developments in the world of work.
Gitlab has an extensive repository for working remotely.
We Work Remotely's collection of resources for working remotely, broken down into eight distinct groups - tools, training, co-working, equipment, books, events, a remote hiring guide, and more.
NODESK is a source for Digital Nomads, remote workers, and road warrior professionals to find a wealth of useful information.
Remote.co is a one-stop shop for freelancers, telecommuters, and digital nomads looking for a job board, a company, or just some helpful information.
The Art of Working Remotely is a site that includes helpful hints and techniques for working remotely. Scott Dawson, the site's creator, has been doing remote work for more than two decades and offers his insights on the topic on his website.
The Tomedes Blog was created by a translation company that has been around since 2007, and is packed with linguistically-focused posts designed to aid freelancers, translators, and editors. It also includes tools and instructions for overseeing telecommuting and other forms of flexible scheduling. Topics include: time management, budgeting, maintaining a work/life balance, and how to get started in freelance work or remote interpreting.
The Life Hacker is an article about working from home, and is packed with tips and tactics to improve your productivity and satisfaction in your job.
Remote-how has various sections on their website such as - The Academy, Resources, Community, and Events, and focuses on remote team leaders.
Remote Leadership Institute provides useful information for remote team leaders and team members.
Spring Works' Remote Resources is a curated database of articles, books, podcasts, tools, solutions, and more that can help you launch, manage, or participate in a successful remote team.
Daily Remote allows users to search for and apply for remote jobs at over 1,000 different companies.
We Work Remotely is a popular job board for startups looking to hire remote workers. The primary job type is software development, but they are also a great source for writers, marketers, and other startup positions.
Fiverr is an online marketplace for freelance talent that provides a variety of digital for-hire services. Typically, contractors are hired for specific gigs, so it's not steady work that is provided directly by an employer, but Fiverr is one of the largest and most well known collection of freelancers on the internet. It's great for project-based work such as web development, writing copy, video editing, design, and other common freelancing work.
Goodgigs matches freelancers with design, tech, and creative jobs at socially conscious businesses.
Himalayas assists people in locating exciting opportunities from VC-backed startups and small businesses.
Remote maintains a comprehensive listing of remote-based jobs in a variety of industries and occupations.
Search Remotely is an online platform that connects people in order to work from anywhere in the world.
Skip The Drive allows job seekers to search for and apply for work-from-home opportunities.
Upwork is the world's largest freelancing website. Similar to Fiverr, freelancers create a profile and advertise their skill sets - clients purchase project packages for varying prices that are set by the freelancer.
Virtual Vocations is a job service that connects job seekers with hand-screened telecommuting job leads.
Virtual Desk Jobs connects employers and job seekers to fill virtual office desk jobs in a variety of industries.
Working Nomads curates lists of the most interesting remote job offers in a variety of professional career fields.
