The 2020/21 Covid-19 pandemic has taken the world by storm. We have all had to stay at home and keep ourselves and the people around us safe. We were all told to work from home if we can almost a year ago now and this order has generally divided the nation on remote work. Some say they absolutely love working from home and want it to be the new normal. Yet others are desperate to get back in the office declaring remote work much harder.

The first thing we have all learned from remote working is that some people really struggle with it. A lot of people have said they lose motivation and have become less productive. Some have also struggled hugely with IT issues, connectivity issues in certain areas of the UK and many have complained of not having space in their home for an office setup. Not having the right office equipment has made remote workers’ jobs more difficult.

But not everyone feels this way either. Some people have converted spare rooms into offices. Some have loved not having to commute long distances and have enjoyed having a break from busy trains or traffic.

We have also learned that working from home requires adjustments from companies. Generally, most companies have gone above and beyond to provide a good setup for home-workers and ensure that they have everything they need. These adjustments made have made a huge difference for remote workers and generally, the more assistance and support provided from companies has meant their team has successfully adapted to working from home and finding remote working less overwhelming. Some companies have held digital detox days for staff and are ensuring that they are carrying out frequent virtual meetings to check in with employees. Some people have said that they have experienced more communication from colleagues than before the pandemic.

The new work from home lifestyle has most definitely divided the nation but the pandemic has taught us that working from home is more possible than we ever thought.