15 Reasons Remote Work Is Not Going Away
Is remote work done? Tech CEOs seem to want it to go away. Here are fifteen reasons remote work is not going away anytime soon!
Some tech CEOs seem interested in wanting people to return to the companies’ offices. Companies want to do away with working from home after the so-called “experiment” is finished. The problem is the “experiment” had already begun before 2020. Here are fifteen reasons why remote work will not go away!
Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, made headlines when he stated at the Stripe Conference in 2023:
“I think definitely one of the tech industry’s worst mistakes in a long time was that everybody could go full remote forever, and startups didn’t need to be together in person and, you know, there was going to be no loss of creativity. I would say that the experiment on that is over, and the technology is not yet good enough that people can be full remote forever, particularly on startups.”
Is the remote work “experiment” over?
Remote Work Began Before The Pandemic
The standard message is that remote work began due to the pandemic. Remote work started before the pandemic with the rise of the Internet. Upwork was already making freelancing go mainstream. People figured out how to make money from websites, YouTube, and other social media platforms in the 2010s.
The pandemic just sped the rate of people wanting to leave the office and consider going into business for themselves.
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Freelancing
Freelancing is growing in popularity. You can work from home. You can apply for jobs that look interesting. A freelancer can apply for short-term to long-term employment.
Flexiple states that “freelancing is poised to become the majority of the workforce by 2027.” Popular freelancing websites include:
Work From Home
Working from home is growing in popularity. There are many ways to do it. A person could freelance, work remotely for a business, or have an online business.
Each person can tailor their own work-from-home experience. The most freedom will come with having an online business. A remote worker and freelancer still needs to listen to an employer.
Do Not Have To Go Into The Office
There is no reason to go into the office. Driving to a downtown office requires driving to work, finding parking or paying for a parking garage, dealing with colleagues, and (paying the met then dealing with rush hour traffic. The hassle of going to the office costs employees valuable time and money.
Spend Less On Gas
Working from home allows people to spend less money on gas. There is no need to drive to the office five days a week.
Drive only to run errands, pick up groceries, or get together with friends or family. There is no need to drive to the office and deal with paying for expensive parking downtown.
Save money on gas. The extra money saved on gas each month previously spent going into the office can now go into a high-yield savings or money market account each month.
Spend Less On Food
Working from home is a way to spend less on food. There is no reason to pick up a coffee on the way to work or to go to the store next door for lunch. It is easier and less expensive to make meals at home.
Learn to cook. You do not need to become a chef. Cook simple budget-friendly meals.
Do Not Have To Deal With Co-Workers
Working from home decreases the time an employee has to deal with co-workers. There is no coffee or lunch room. Everything is done via email, video calls, productivity services like Slack, instant messaging, or phone calls.
Small talk and chit-chat decrease productivity. Instead of focusing on getting tasks done, co-workers think they must socialize and get to know their co-workers.
I always hated my required lunch break and the two ten-minute breaks when I worked at Safeway in Seattle as a night stocker. I had to interact with my co-workers. I am not at work to socialize or make friends. I am there to work, receive a paycheck, then leave. Yet, many employers overemphasize soft skills and that employees must get along instead of ensuring their employees are productive. One of the Safeway co-workers gave me the nickname “savage.”
What is your least favorite part of working in the office?
Avoid Office Politics
Avoid office politics. Or, at least, deal with less of it. There is the gossip. Rumors about co-workers who may be dating. Having to work with colleagues on a group project. Then, when election season or another heated event in the news comes up that co-workers are discussing in the break room.
Flexibility
Remote work provides flexibility. There is no need to go into the office. Or, you do not need to go into the office as often. It allows one to create one’s own schedule as a freelancer or remote worker just as long as the work gets done. If you are an employee of a company, there will be less flexibility.
Leaving The Traditional Workforce
People are leaving the traditional workforce and embracing working online. As mentioned in the first section, it happened before the pandemic. The Dot Com boom allowed people to start websites, blogs, podcasts, and discover ways to make money online.
Knowledge Economy
The Internet has created the knowledge economy. It has allowed people with a specific skill set and knowledge of niche topics to create content. People can now share their expertise by writing, filming, or recording content. They can then work to build an audience around them who enjoy their content.
Becoming Content Creators
More people are booming content creators. A content creator includes anyone who creates content, from writing content on a website to posting pictures to videos. Content creators can discover creative ways to make money online.
Making Money Online
Content creators can then find ways to make money online. Some ways include:
Coaching
Products
Services
Subscriptions
Digital courses
Advertisements
Sponsors
Digital Nomads
The Internet provides the ability to work online and create passive income streams, creating digital nomads. Digital nomads are often freelancers, remote workers, or online business owners who have decided to travel or live abroad. Digital nomads may live abroad for many reasons: to save money, lower costs of living, lower healthcare costs, residency in another country, or to get a second passport.
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Starting Online Businesses
The Internet allows people to start online businesses. Someone can start as a solopreneur and then grow one’s business by hiring freelancers. Delegating is a critical skill that any entrepreneur must learn.
A business is a financial asset not often talked about or taught to people. It is an asset that a business owner can work to create new revenue and income streams. It is always a work in progress, but it allows the business owner to find ways to increase one’s income rather than receiving a paycheck that does not keep up with inflation.
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Summary
Remote work is not disappearing because more people are discovering ways to make money online. The Internet has created digital nomads and online businesses. Remote work saves people time and money from going into the office.
Is remote work here to stay? Let us know in the comments below!
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Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Secure Single. James Bollen is the author of Thriving Solo: How to Flourish and Live Your Perfect Life (Without A Soulmate). Now available in paperback on Amazon.
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Interesting article thanks. We were musing the other day about whether we could still see the effects of COVID in our daily lives. On the face of it the answer is no but when you dig down there’s so much that’s different.
On office politics and gossip. I’d say this still happens on an industrial scale. In fact, being remote allows people to have one on one conversations without having to nip into a quiet corner of the office. Press a button and you’re able to jabber away to your hearts content without anyone knowing. Who knows what conversations are happening behind closed team conversations.