For many employees, remote work offers many benefits, such as convenience, increased focus, opportunities for travel, and finding an optimal work–life balance. Indeed, it seems that after rising prominently during the COVID-19 pandemic, remote working is here to stay.
People who are looking to work remotely should make themselves aware of the risks and downsides associated with this way of working, as there are many disadvantages as well as benefits. This article discusses 20 remote work problems and how to overcome them.
1. Loneliness and lack of human interaction
Remote working often means that you’re working alone. While this can mean that you can get lots of stuff done, it can also mean that human interaction is limited. This can lead to loneliness, isolation and, ultimately, mental health issues.
The solution: When working remotely, try to structure your day so you have at least one or two calls with your colleagues, perhaps in a one-to-one meeting or group huddle. This means that you’ll get at least a little human interaction each day. Get out of the house for a walk, and perhaps even set up a group of fellow remote workers in the area, with the goal of catching lunch together from time to time.
2. Social anxiety
The solo nature of remote working can lead to social anxiety over time, a feeling of apprehension when attempting to connect with people from work or, indeed, outside of work.
Social anxiety is born from unease or uncertainty about what to say to others, which can lead to loneliness and being regarded as an “outsider” by others. This can also hinder career progression.
The solution: The best way to overcome social anxiety at work is to take baby steps to connect with others. Rather than throwing yourself into prolonged social situations like team dinners or days out, start with a video call and work your way up from there. Connect face to face over a quick coffee, and keep these connections consistent so any anxiety evaporates over time.
3. Overworking
A major challenge to remote working is the perception that it’s challenging to switch off.
Working where you live can blur the lines of work–life balance, and many remote workers find that it’s all too easy to commit to closing off your day at 5pm, only to find themselves still hard at work much later on. This can cause unhealthy habits to form, where people begin to suffer from imposter syndrome or burnout.
The solution: Creating a physical barrier between your remote work life and your home life can prevent overworking. For example, working in a home office creates a way to “leave work” rather than, say, carrying on working in front of the TV or at dinner. Set an alarm at the end of your day, and be disciplined about turning off your laptop when the time comes.
4. Distractions
Working at home means that you’re surrounded by homeliness and creature comforts. It’s easy to get distracted by, say, your sun-kissed balcony, a side hustle, a games console or your pets. That said, distractions mean that you’ll be less effective at work, which can lead to performance management issues.
The solution: It’s hard to completely remove distractions at home, but you can minimize their impact. Working in a separate room from the things that distract you is ideal, but if you aren’t able to do this, consider creating a routine where your day is punctuated with short breaks where you can let off steam.
5. Limited access to resources
One of the challenges with working from home is that you don’t have access to all the resources that someone in the office might have, such as paperwork, equipment or even facetime with key stakeholders. This can create a feeling of being cut off, or that tasks might appear confusing or harder to do.
The solution: If you feel that you don’t have access to the right resources at work, it’s vital that you ask for them as soon as possible. Plan your week and tasks to ensure that you know what you need, and reach out to the relevant people to ensure they’re provided for you.
6. Communication barriers
Communication barriers when working from home can include a lack of face-to-face interaction, dealing with different time zones, misinterpreting tone and body language, and lack of clarity. This can create knowledge-sharing issues and social exclusion, and can prove to be a heavy distraction.
The solution: To break down communication barriers, work with your team to establish communication norms and expectations in advance. Iron out issues with technology, enhance virtual meetings with an agenda, and encourage participation. Proactively seek ways to communicate with others so you understand their own styles. Consider using various forms of communication such as video calls and messenger services to encourage people to open up.
7. Technology issues
One of the biggest issues when working from home is the risk of technology not working. Video conference apps might not function, internet bandwidth can be limited, and what happens if your laptop stops working? Technology issues can make your job frustrating and ultimately mean that you can’t complete your work.
The solution: To overcome technology issues, check your own internet speed before you start work, and consider investing in a faster connection if need be. Ensure that you keep all hardware and software updated, and familiarize yourself with IT troubleshooting processes in your organization. Test technology before you use it to ensure it works, and communicate any challenges promptly to the right people.
8. Security risks
Working from home means that you have less information security protection than being in an office, where usually your work runs through company servers and IT teams can be more accessible for advice or to monitor poor data safeguarding behaviors. These risks can lead to whole IT systems being compromised, data being lost, and the organization’s reputation suffering.
The solution: Ensure you follow all company information security processes and training when you work remotely. Even if you’re at home, lock your computer when you’re away from it, and keep any confidential information locked away and covered up when not in use. Finally, report any unusual IT behavior to your manager.
9. Inefficient time management
Inefficient time management when working from home is largely caused by not having enough structure and process to ensure optimal working conditions. This can lead to a feeling of your day running away from you, and losses in productivity and staying focused on your goals.
The solution: Managing distractions and setting routines when working remotely is vital. Keep a productivity planner, consistent start and finish times, and regular time slots for lunch, as these will help you stay focused. Ensure you meet with your manager regularly to set goals and tasks, and to get feedback and follow up on what you’re working on.
10. Lack of motivation
Whereas working remotely can be a huge motivator for many, others find it hard to keep motivated when working alone and not being surrounded by the buzz of an office and face-to-face collaboration with coworkers. Ultimately, remote working requires discipline and self-motivation, which can be hard traits to sustain.
The solution: Setting daily targets is a great way to sustain motivation and keep focused when working from home. Break down your annual or monthly goals into micro-targets. If you achieve these each day, reward yourself, and report back on progress to your manager for recognition.
11. Scheduling conflicts
Remote working can create many scheduling issues, such as overlapping meetings, time zone conflicts, and distance causing calendar miscommunications. This creates frustration among remote workers and can lead to teams breaking down or communication barriers being created.
The solution: Establish daily “synchronization” meetings with your team to go over what is being done each day; these can be super-swift huddles that can last a few minutes. Supplement this with a weekly catch-up to establish priorities for the coming week. Finally, ensure all meetings are plugged in on a shared calendar. This ensures everyone knows when everyone else is available.
12. Reduced benefits
Remote working can impact certain contractual and non-contractual benefits, such as wellbeing and support, engagement interventions, and potentially career development opportunities, as some training sessions will only happen at work.
Lack of access to these benefits can harm socialization opportunities at work, create a sense of alienation, and also contribute to remote employees being overlooked for promotions.
The solution: It’s for managers to ensure that wellbeing, engagement and learning opportunities are offered remotely, using technology, and that all benefits are offered fairly to everyone. From the employees’ point of view, proactively make use of these benefits and offer feedback to managers if you feel what’s being offered isn’t effective.
13. Lack of immediate support
Remote working means that you’re often at arm’s length from your manager and other stakeholders. This means that it can be challenging to get timely support, as you’ll be waiting for when the person can contact you via messaging, video or email. This can create feelings of isolation and also present barriers to getting work done.
The solution: Agree with your manager about times when you can both catch up in advance. This might be for a few minutes at the start or end of each day. Commit to this and ensure it consistently occurs. It can also be helpful to understand from your manager their expectations and preferences when it comes to communication so you can plan accordingly.
14. Cultural differences
Remote working means that you get the opportunity to easily work with people from all over the world. This can, however, cause some challenges in terms of cultural mix. There might be cultural misunderstandings, frustrations with how different cultures work, and the remote nature of work meaning that cultural barriers take a long time to break down.
The solution: Set aside time in your day to get to know your colleagues and the way they work. Consider an “icebreaker” meeting where you share stories from your hometown or country, as well as your preferred working style. This will help demystify cultural differences.
15. Ineffective team collaboration
Remote teams can be hugely beneficial, but there are some challenges as well. Geographically disparate teams will take longer to meld together due to different deadlines, priorities, working styles, and the lack of face-to-face collaboration. This can lower productivity and also cause workplace conflict.
The solution: Technology is your savior when it comes to remote team collaboration. Use apps such as Slack, Trello and Teams to share information and communicate in real time; these can effectively break down remote working barriers. Get to know your team by speaking with them every day, and be honest in your expectations and needs.
16. Performance monitoring issues
Remote working means that your manager isn’t always able to check up on what you’re doing. This might sound like heaven, but it can mean that you receive less feedback and, therefore, less guidance. Also, some organizations plug this gap by investing in performance monitoring technology to ensure that staff are at their desks and staying productive.
The solution: Ultimately, give your organization every reason to trust you. Even if your manager doesn’t do it, proactively check in with them every day, and ensure you use other remote working tips mentioned in this article to stay busy and energized — for example, by taking regular breaks. Proactively ask for feedback and seek coaching on what can be improved in the future.
17. Obstacles to career progression
Remote working can create barriers to career progression. This is caused by a lack of feedback, less communication and, in some cases, simply not being in the office, making connections and spending time with stakeholders. Remote workers might also find that they have less access to learning and development opportunities.
The solution: It’s vital for remote workers to overcome these barriers by putting in place a solid personal development plan. Whereas you might not create this with your manager, it’s essential to have them sign-off on it and coach you in achieving these goals, or at least provide you with the resources you need. Keep a development diary, and take action if you feel you’re not growing fast enough.
18. Difficulties in training and development
Even when they have access to training and development, remote workers sometimes find these opportunities are less effective in a remote working setting. This is because training development when working from home is heavily reliant on the use of technology and will lack the collaborative and communicative benefits that many learners enjoy. After all, a big part of a training course’s allure is the connections you make!
The solution: Proactively seek out new ways to be trained. This can include interactive virtual trainings (some can make clever use of virtual breakout rooms) or gamification. You might even find there are opportunities to learn in real life if you and a group of coworkers live nearby and can meet up to attend a training course.
19. Blurred work–life balance boundaries
Remote working can be a practical way to do one’s job, but living and working in the same place can lead to blurred boundaries that cause overwork and, with time, disengagement. It’s easy to keep working while making lunch, or to take a few work calls while looking after your kids. This might seem ideal at first but can lead to resentment and a nagging feeling of “always being at work”.
The solution: Set rituals and parameters when working from home. Do all you can to keep your personal life away from your work life, such as leaving your work phone alone and closing your email when you go for a break or turn off for the day. If you have a separate home office, keep your family out of there except for emergencies.
20. Bad health habits
Remote work can impact your health through stress or burnout, poor eating habits by not taking proper lunch breaks, muscle and joint issues caused by poor ergonomics, lack of routine, and mental health issues. Over time, these seemingly small challenges can add up to have a significant effect on your overall health.
The solution: Establishing routines is a great way to improve your health at work. Find time for socialization, take adequate rest breaks and, when it’s time to stop working, actually stop working. Get into good habits one day at a time so that, with time, you’ll yearn for these behaviors and keeping healthy when remote working will feel like second nature.
Final thoughts
Working from home is a great way to structure your working week, but there are many challenges to be aware of.
Understanding the problems associated with remote working is not to say that this working method is wrong or should be avoided, though. Many people get on extremely well with working from home.
Instead, understanding the risks and pitfalls associated with remote working means that employees are in a much better position to proactively address these, avoid them and, ultimately, find a way to work from home that benefits both them and their employer.
What other remote work problems can you think of? Let us know in the comments section below.
This article is a complete update of an earlier version originally published on November 17, 2020.
