Working online as a remote staff: Thanks to broadband

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Thanks to broadband Internet, working online as a remote staff is increasingly becoming more and more common across the world. For example, in the UK, almost a quarter of a million people have switched to remote working in the past decade. WiFi and broadband Internet have become much faster and more widely available which has facilitated this move. Furthermore, many companies have adopted this approach in an effort to provide their employees with more flexible hours. Many studies have been done on the topic and have found that the employees that have the option of working remotely are happier, more productive and more motivated. While this may not be for everyone, there are many pros and cons to consider if provided with the opportunity of remote work.

How broadband has made remote working more flexible

The availability of fast broadband Internet and WiFi has not only made remote working possible, but also more flexible. In many cases working online as a remote staff can mean you even have flexible hours. However, if that is not the case, you would be able to do your work from a variety of different locations using a variety of different devices, whatever works best for you. You may enjoy working from your neighborhood coffee shop, a park or a train.

Not only that but you can also do it from your laptop, your phone, tablet or even your desktop computer from the comfort of your own home. Whatever suits you and your job best. A variety of different apps can make you feel connected and allow for easy, quick and effective communication with your coworkers, even as you don’t occupy the same space.

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Working remotely: the pros and cons of working from home

As with everything, there are both upsides and downsides to working online as a remote staff. Depending on your circumstances, you will be able to make the right decision if an opportunity to work from home comes your way.

The benefits

Most people who work from home like the fact that they don’t have to go to the office. Some of them feel that there are fewer distractions and fewer things to do that are not related to work, such as socializing with coworkers and taking coffee breaks. So not only do you use your time more effectively, but you are also more focused and can get more done. The flexibility of working remotely can help parents accommodate their parenting responsibilities more easily.

Furthermore, eliminating the commute will allow parents to spend more time with their families. As for people without children, it opens the time to do something they find enjoyable. Finally, working online as a remote staff means being able to work from the comfort of your own home, so there is no dress code. You can basically do your work in your pajamas.

The downsides

Unfortunately, nothing is without its disadvantages. One of the hardest things people struggle with when working remotely is that they sometimes cannot separate work from their personal lives. For some people, it can be difficult to work in the space that you associate with relaxing. Secondly, it can be difficult to maintain communication at times without seeing your coworkers face to face. In addition to this, you could even be working in a different time zone from the seat of your company. This can provide several setbacks, such as having odd hours or not being able to reach your coworkers when you need to when something is urgent. Finally, sometimes the broadband Internet or WiFi can be unreliable, which can cause you stress.

Finding work

Companies from pretty much all industries and areas can offer the opportunity of working online as a remote staff thanks to broadband. However, the work some of them do lends itself more to this concept than others. Companies like WP Full Care that are in the business of website maintenance can have their employees working remotely without a hitch.

On the other hand, working remotely offers big payoffs for companies as well. Some bigger ones are trying hard to offer this to their employees. Dell, the computer manufacturer, is looking to have half of its total number of employees working remotely. Amazon recently hired 3,000 customer service workers in a similar effort. There does not seem to be too much of a limit as to what work can be done remotely, as long as you have a computer and Internet access.

The cost of working from home

As mentioned above, you save time and money on the lack of a commute. It could be gas money, bus fares or something else. However, you are using your own Internet connection and data plan to get your work done. Some people believe that one should be able to claim this as expenses when working online as a remote staff. In some cases, people will have to change their broadband package in order to accommodate the needs of their work.

Remote working: how to make it work for you

One of the best tips, if you are working online as a remote staff thanks to broadband internet, is to dedicate a certain space solely to work. This will help create a boundary between working and living, which can often be difficult to navigate. Apps like Slack will allow you to communicate easily with your coworkers and superiors. Finally, Google Docs and Google Hangouts are both necessary for a smooth sailing as a remote employee.

Remote working is also a chance giving to the other third billion living in the third world and under developed area to contribute to the world economy by getting and doing jobs without having to struggle onto emigration status within the developed and western economy.

As Afrikanet, we are a UK based company of diaspora Africans and friends of Africa whose purpose is to provide solutions to improve the quality of life of Africans living in the sub-Saharan areas through technologies. We are active in supporting rural communities, those seeking access to education, health and wealth improvement by giving them access to broadband by satellite and helping bring to more people and permitting small businesses access to markets outside of their immediate area.

We have provided satellite telecommunications and information technology solutions since 1999 under the brand names of Nord Sud, eAfrika, Afrikanet and GoSat and have now two decades of experience in helping Africans improve both their personal and their commercial well-being across the African continent.

Photos used

https://pixabay.com/photos/workstation-office-business-336369/

https://pixabay.com/photos/wireless-home-router-adsl-modem-1861612/

https://pixabay.com/photos/office-work-studying-office-working-1149087/

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