Articles From the Team
Remote Working: Will it continue… Should it?
There can be no doubt that the pandemic has completely changed our working lives, however due to our technologically advanced world it hasn’t created as much chaos as it could’ve done – Working from home has become the norm for most in the legal market, but will it continue and more importantly, should it?
If you speak with any legal firm you will know that they have adjusted in some way to adapt to this new way of working, some more than others. It’s fair to say that most people are still remote working and nearly everyone have accepted that it can happen successfully. With this is mind there’s absolutely no doubt some element of remote working is going to become the norm. Whilst a lot of firms are still undecided on the exact details, expect 2 or 3 days in the office and 2 or 3 out – if you want it!
Full remote working also seems like a possibility... We’ve discussed completely remote roles with some firms and entire departments have been set up to support this. So what does this mean? Well it means that the job that you simply couldn’t justify the commute time and costs to apply for is now very much a possibility. This setup won’t fit all firms and individuals and it certainly won’t be suitable for all roles, but it is happening and I think we’ll see a lot of firms follow suit sooner rather than later.
The big question – Is it worth it?
The thought of blended working (part in the office, part at home) is appealing to me and many others. Some have been scratching at the walls to get back in the office and some are perfectly happy to remain at home... So the short answer is, it completely depends on you.
Here’s something to consider though... There’s no doubt there are some benefits, you might save 2 hours commuting every day, avoid the stressful journey, have more time to relax at home and potentially remove travel costs completely. That sounds fantastic, but what about long term? Can you completely separate work and home life? Maybe suddenly it’s more difficult to switch work mode off, or maybe it’s easier to get distracted? The world quickly becomes a lot smaller when you hardly leave the house (as we all know!).
I think for most people some form of interaction at work is a must, even if it’s just a change of scenery from the same 4 walls of your makeshift office/spare room. Blended roles will be here for good and the remote roles will certainly come up, just make sure they suit you!