I want to make a distinction between the meaning of “Remote working”, “Working from home” and “Flexible Working”. While there is a lot of overlap between the terms there are important differences.
For this blog, we use this remote working definition:
Remote Working Definition
“Remote working” describes a company that proactively and consistently distributes it’s workforce away from office locations, preferring it’s employees to work from wherever they feel most productive. This includes from home, from a co-working hub or while travelling. Essential equipment is provided to remote workers, in addition to the training and tools to manage themselves.
To create a vibrant culture is still vital to the success of the company. However, remote companies achieve it without relying on a physical office.
A key point to note is that within Remote Working companies the majority of employees, including the senior management team, work away from the office. Often, it will be the senior Leadership who encourage the distribution of the workforce.
Companies such as Remote, Gitlab and Buffer are great examples of Remote Work companies.
Remote Jobs Meaning
A Remote Working Job means working from wherever you feel most productive. This includes from your home, it could be in a co-working hub or perhaps it is in a different city. It’s entirely up to you. There are many advantages to working in a remote jobThe benefits of remote work. An employee should provide you with the right equipment or a budget to purchase it. Having the right software for remote working is vital. They will provide apps, such as Zoom for Webinars, communications tools such as Slack and project management software, e.g. Trello.
Flexible Working definition
An increasing number of companies recognise that many of their employees would like to work from home for, say, a defined number of days per week. This may take the form of a ‘Work at home Friday’, for instance. The current COVID pandemic thrust this mode of working into the spotlight because many companies must provide flexible working hours. However, they treat it as a ‘perk’ or a temporary solution throughout the pandemic.
Working From Home definition
Working from home is a self-employed freelancer or entrepreneur managing their business from home. They manage all aspects of the business, including for instance, sales, accounts, marketing and customer service. This differs from remote working because the range of tools they require must cover the multitude of tasks they carry out. Furthermore, since people in this category tend to work for themselves, team communication and social interaction between fellow employees is not paramount.
See our list of 138 Working From Home Jobs to see examples.
Naturally, there is a lot of overlap between these different types of working. Common issues amongst them are building a good office space, getting the right office equipment and external communication tools.