Two hundred years ago, a device began to dominate the world of work—the clock. With its arrival, people were paid on the basis of how many hours they worked, rather than their material output, and were required by the owner to turn up for a set shift.
The clock's authoritarian rule may at last be weakening. Working remotely has brought a greater degree of freedom. A survey across six countries found that flexible working was viewed very positively, improving both people's work-life balance and productivity. Flexible workers even scored more highly on a sense of "belonging" to their organization than those on a nine-to-five schedule.
It is hardly surprising that workers prefer flexibility. Working a rigid eight-hour schedule is incredibly restricting. Those are also the hours when most shops are open, when doctors and dentists will take appointments, and when repairmen are willing to visit. Parents on a conventional routine may be able to take their children to school in the morning but are unlikely to be able to pick them up in the afternoon. Many families find themselves constantly struggling with schedules and giving up precious holiday time to deal with domestic emergencies.
On reflection, it is not too shocking that home-workers feel they are more productive. After all, few people have the ability to concentrate solidly for eight hours at a stretch. There are points in the day where people want to stare out of the window or go for a walk; these may be moments when they find inspiration or recharge themselves for the next task. When they do this in an office, they risk the boss's disapproval; at home, they can work when they are most motivated.
Of course, working remotely carries dangers: people may lose all separation between work and home life, and are likely to be stressed. To inject some human contact, companies may embrace a mixed model in which workers go into the office for part of the week. But overall, office-workers' freedom from time restrictions is to be welcomed. The clock was a cruel master and many people will be happy to escape its dominion.
Working remotely is viewed positively because it brings lots of benefits and it is perfect.
