Remote Work and Working From Home Aren’t the Same

Eight months into the global pandemic, business leaders are starting to realize that remote work isn't simply a fad or a perk. This is now how work is going to be performed, in some cases well after the global health crisis has abated. However, as this new reality sets in, managers need to understand that working from home and remote work are not interchangeable terms. There are important differences between the two that must be understood if workflows are to remain intact and productivity is to trend positively. Simply put: Working from home is something that is done temporarily, every once in a while. Remote working, on the other hand, isn’t a circumstance but a method. Both require different tools and systems. It also requires a different set of skills. Setting agendas and managing workloads look different when employees engage in remote work, and productivity and accountability need to be handled differently. The sooner business leaders can understand that remote work—not working from home—is here to stay, the sooner they can establish new ways of approaching work in the post-COVID-19 world.