Advantages and Disadvantages of Distance Working
Abstract
Purpose of the article Before the COVID-19, approximately 95% of employed persons in Latvia never worked at home, however, in 2020, number of remote workers increased until 18% roughly. Even after a year from the beginning of the pandemic, working from home is still a challenge for many employees, and actions are required from both workers and management. This, in turn, points the necessity to research the actual problems of Latvian teleworkers and provide solutions for them.
Methodology/methods To develop the background of the study existing literature in the fields of remote working and staff adaptation is explored. For processing results of the survey, frequency analysis, independent variables analysis, factor analysis and graphic analysis of identified benefits and problems of remote working are used.
Scientific aim The aim of study is to identify advantages and disadvantages of distance working and to find out main factors influencing distance working in Latvia.
Findings Analysis showed that Latvian distance employees face with organizational, communicational and motivational problems during working remotely. Based on the results of statistical analyses made by the authors, the recommendation for remote workers in Latvia in general and for remote workers of different groups (gender, age, having children, position, having previous experience of working from home) separately are provided.
Conclusions (limits, implications etc) Remote employees highly appreciate economy of travel time and expenses and opportunity to organize working process independently. Childless persons more that those whose children are at home or out of home during working time appreciate a chance to organize their work independently including choice of working time and limitation of distractions by other employees. Latvian remote employees evaluated the following problems as the most negative: lack of environment change, lack of balance between work and personal life, lack of face-to-face communication with other employees, lack of inspiring working atmosphere and difficulty to stop working in the evening. The survey results could be used for the organization of distance working at companies in effective way.
Keywords: remote work, telecommuting, distance working, COVID-19
JEL Classification: M12, M54, J81
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