Online work requires internet, a laptop and your personal time management. This makes you more flexible and means you can be able to work from anywhere.
Photo credit: careeremployer.com
The internet has brought with it lots of opportunities. More and more people are reaping the benefits of working online. This has led to increased job creation across the globe with the rise of sites for freelance work being on the rise at the break of every dawn. Moreover, some organizations that are purely online based allow their employees to work from home as well. Some employees, unless of course they have meetings, will never show up at their office. The opportunities that the internet provides from emails, messaging apps like Slack and even Skype, working from home or where one is comfortable has increased in different parts of the world. What exactly are the pros and cons of working online?
Advantages
1. Commute
Research has shown that too much time is wasted when employees have to commute to work. According to IBM’s international traffic study survey, Nairobi ranked fourth with the worst traffic jams out of 20 cities surveyed. On average, an employee working and commuting within Nairobi will be forced to spend about 2.1 hours which is higher than the average 1.3 hours spent on traffic jams in other cities. However, being able to work online means that you are able to avoid the traffic rush to and from work. Not having to worry about catching the train or bus gives you peace of mind and you can essentially start working earlier than your colleagues who need to commute to work.
2. Quality family time
Most women find it hard balancing their work and family. The same applies to men too. Working online can allow you work from home giving you the much-needed flexibility to spend time with your family. You can plan your schedule so that you have more time for your family than when you have to commute or have to work late in the office.
3. Save on costs
This is one of the advantages of working online. Without the need to commute and buy breakfast or lunch, you will be able to save money. Additionally, in most cases your wardrobe won’t matter as much as when you need to be in the office saving you money on that end too. As a mother, being able to work from home will also save you money on daycare and getting a nanny.
4. Flexibility
Online work requires internet, a laptop and your personal time management. This makes you more flexible and means you can be able to work from anywhere. Want to wake up and work in Paris today and have dinner in the Maldives? Well, you don’t need permission from your boss.
Disadvantages
1. Laxity
Lack of self-discipline can make one become less productive. It’s very easy to start work late based on the fact that you don’t have an official time to clock in at work. If not handled properly, one can easily start procrastinating on their tasks due to other factors.
2. Distractions
Whether it’s from your children or your favorite programme that airs during work time, it’s quite easy to lose focus when working from home. Being online for the better part of the day with the availability of gaming and social media sites can get you easily distracted. You can avoid this by practicing self-discipline.
3. House chores
It’s really hard not getting some house chores done when you are working from home. Tasks that you would have spent so much time on if you were going to the office end up taking so much of your time. These chores end up eating so much into your work time leaving you with unfinished tasks that keep piling up every day.
4. Missed networking opportunities
Unless you are an introvert, being unable to interact with your colleagues can make one feel isolated and lonely. Not being able to chat with your colleagues about work and the assignments given can lead to boredom. Moreover, you become less and less interested in going for networking events.
5. Internet dependency
Any online work is internet based. In the event of a power outage, you will be forced to lose several hours of work time affecting your deadlines. Moreover, if your internet is down, you won’t be able to get any work done.
Opting to work online has both its ups and downs. It’s important to evaluate and decide whether it’s worth your time. If, however, you must, then you need to learn better time management tips and maintain high discipline levels to be able to outshine the cons.
