The world of work has changed forever. COVID-19 has led to more employees being allowed to work away from the office. This has made the term "WFH" more popular than ever.
You may be wondering, "What does WFH mean?" This article will explore what WFH means and why it has become so important for many people around the world.
What Does WFH mean?
The acronym "WFH" stands for work-from-home.
WFH can also be called telecommuting or remote working. Simply put, a work-from-home job is a work arrangement that does not require an employee to commute or travel to their physical place of work, e.g, an office.
WFH can sometimes involve the creation of a home office space, allowing an employee to separate themselves from their home life and focus fully on their work tasks.
Why Is Work-From-Home (WFH) So Important?
WFH has increased in importance due to COVID-19.
In the midst of the pandemic, workforces have rapidly adapted to social distancing rules and lockdown regulations. In an attempt to curb the spread of the virus and retain jobs for their employees, many employers scrambled to reduce capacity within the workplace and the number of employees.
The pandemic, in many ways, has normalized remote work. This is especially true for jobs in the technology industry.
Technology companies were the first to send workers home due to COVID-19 concerns in early 2020. Once again, they are the first to make work-from-home policies permanent as the pandemic continues for the foreseeable future—despite the introduction of various vaccines.
For some sectors, the lockdown brought on by COVID-19 has been somewhat of a blessing in disguise. Among those thriving from work-from-home jobs are coders, writers, designers, accountants, and so on.
You may be wondering, "What is a coder WFH role?"
A coder works in software development, using programming languages and other elements of computer science to create software.
Programming often involves a lot of solitary work, which means that there isn't always a need to interact with others in an office setting. Roles such as that of a coder are more likely to be suitable for a work-from-home arrangement, especially if the individual has a lot of experience.
What Are the Benefits of a Work-From-Home (WFH) Job?
As WFH policies become the new normal and grow in importance, many employers notice that their employees are more productive when working from home.
It is long established that working from home comes with many advantages for employees. This has become even more apparent due to the epidemic. One of the main benefits of working from home, especially during these times of uncertainty, is saving on costs.
Those working from home can save on gas, transportation, car maintenance, and much more because they are don't have to make the daily commute to and from work. The savings all add up in the end and help keep people afloat against the threat of job losses and potential salary cuts.
Other benefits of working from home include:
- Providing flexible working hours for the employees.
- Better work-life balance.
- Improved productivity and performance.
- Fewer interruptions.
- Fewer "office politics."
- A quieter setting to concentrate on work.
- Improvements in health.
- More time for physical activity.
- Less exposure to illnesses.
Despite its many advantages, there are downsides to remote work:
- Unmonitored performance.
- Strained communication.
- Fewer opportunities to engage in teamwork.
- Lack of office equipment.
- Issues with finding space for a home office.
- A less structured regimen, which could be detrimental to performance.
- The risk of overworking and burning out.
The Future of Work
Many companies now favor work-from-home policies due to the advantages they provide. Work-from-home policies give employees more control over how they deliver their work while saving costs for their employers. With so much new technology being introduced every week, it will become even easier to work from home in the future.