Remote work has become a resource used by more and more companies. After the pandemic, it has become clear that big cities such as New York can be interesting places for teleworking. However, it is not all advantages; there are also some drawbacks to be considered.
An important point to keep in mind is that there is a remarkable difference in the advantages and disadvantages of remote work in a big city like New York or in small towns or communities.
This is important because we should not take a big city as a reference if we live in a small environment, and vice versa.
Benefits of remote work in New York
The first benefit of remote work in New York City is, of course, working from home. But, as we will see below, it can also be a serious inconvenience.
Working at home has the great advantage of being able to manage your schedule much better. This can make a significant difference to your work-life balance compared to having to commute to work.
Not having to rely on vehicles or transportation is another very important aspect of teleworking in New York and any other big city. If you live in a big city, you already know how much time you have to spend commuting. In addition, there are the usual traffic and transportation problems. Removing this is, in itself, almost enough to justify remote work.
Increased productivity is another relevant factor. All studies show that well-organized and structured teleworking is much more efficient on average than work that requires mobility and working away from home. This efficiency, according to various surveys, can be quantified in terms of productivity improvements of even more than 15%.
Finally, from the worker’s perspective, the money savings are significant. Think of expenses such as transportation, meals, etc. that are eliminated when working from home.
Drawbacks of remote work in New York
The main disadvantage of teleworking is universal and doesn’t just apply in New York City. Working from home, at times, is not easy. Telecommuting requires a discipline that not everyone can possess.
It is true that with the passage of time a good structure of schedules can be made. In this way, and with the habits learned in the work routines, it is possible to work from home. But it is not easy: home is one of the places where you will have the most distractions in terms of working concentration.
Another important disadvantage of remote work in New York is that, depending on the type of housing, it is not always easy to set up a good workplace. Depending on where you live in the city, different types of housing are not very suitable for having your own space to work in. This means that not everyone can simply see it as a comfortable choice. Working in an uncomfortable environment is not a good idea for teleworking.
Finally, it is also important to consider as a handicap the fact that schedules can get out of control. Just as we can procrastinate, since leisure activities at home are very stimulating, we can also get carried away by overconcentration and overwork. Indeed, a lot of overwork is not a good idea, as it can lead to situations such as burnout syndrome.