How Has Remote Working Impacted Welsh Businesses?

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, only 6% of Welsh workers were regularly working from home. By June 2020, this jumped to 43%. During this time, many businesses saw the benefits of remote working and it quickly became a longer-term strategy for growth.

The shift has had a significant impact on businesses and their employees, with a mix of benefits and challenges. So, here are just some of the ways remote working has impacted Welsh businesses.

Positive Impacts of Remote Working

Reduced Overheads

Many companies were able to downsize their office spaces as less employees were working on-site. For some, this massively reduced expenses like rent and utilities, allowing them to put more money into other areas of the business.

Broader Recruitment Area

Employers are now able to broaden their search to anywhere in the world. Not only does this increase diversity in the workforce, but also allows businesses to access specialist skills that they may not have been able to access locally.

Better Work Life Balance

With the ability to work anywhere and a lack of lengthy commuting times, the work-life balance for many employees improved drastically. Now, people can work around their personal commitments with ease.

Negative Impacts of Remote Working

Difficulty Maintaining Good Working Relationships

Since people have significantly less face time with their colleagues and superiors, managing a remote team can make it difficult to create or maintain good working relationships. Additionally, employers may find it harder to support employees remotely –  this can lower morale and engagement over time.

Increased Risk of Burnout

Working from home often blurs the line between work and home. Many remote workers struggle to ‘switch off’ at the end of the day, which can lead to significantly longer working days and increased risk of burnout.

Isolation

Particularly for those who are new to a team or live alone, a lack of in-person contact can make it difficult to form essential working relationships and lead to feelings of isolation.

Difficulty Streamlining Processes

Without the right tools, it can be difficult for businesses to streamline processes and ensure employees are satisfied, particularly when it comes to things like payroll. Although using various online tools like a payroll app can reduce the negative impact remote working can have on processes.

Remote Working is the Future

Working from home has not only become possible, but it’s become a necessity for some employees. Despite the challenges of forming and maintaining good working relationships and ensuring processes work seamlessly, many businesses in Wales have reaped the many benefits of working from home and it’s likely they will continue to do so for quite some time.