Remote jobs are fast becoming the new normal, and if there’s an employer who is still strongly against it, they might just be shooting themselves in the leg. But there are downsides too, and it’s not only killing productivity, it may also be brewing a trend of micromanaging employers.
There is the story of the Florida employee who was fired for refusing to keep his webcam on during work hours, and the opinions of 5 Nigerians who think remote work is not worth all the hype.
A Florida-based company ordered to pay $73,000 to a remote employee after firing him for refusing to keep his webcam on during work hours
Recently, Business Insider reported the case of a Florida employee who was fired for refusing to keep his webcam on all day. The unnamed employee sued the company on the grounds that he wasn’t given an “urgent reason” to “justify the immediate dismissal given,” and that the company’s demand that he keep his webcam on was a violation of his privacy rights. A court in the Netherlands ruled that the Florida-based company is liable to pay a former employee $73,000 for wrongful termination. The court held that the company’s actions constituted an intrusion of privacy and that the employee was wrongfully terminated.
What exactly is the essence of remote jobs?
In June 2022, Slack added a video option to its voice call feature, Huddle. Although it aimed to win users from other video conferencing platforms like Google Meet and Zoom, it should have remained as it was. Who gave slack the idea that remote workers want to have their videos on during calls? Why is it remote if I can’t have my shirts off and sprawl across the floor during meetings?
As the workplace continues to evolve, more and more employees are finding that remote roles offer the flexibility and freedom they need to maintain a healthy work-life balance. In fact, a study found that workers are now choosing remote roles over traditional office jobs.
There are a number of reasons why remote work is becoming more popular. For one, it allows employees to avoid the commute and work from the comfort of their own homes. Additionally, it gives employees the ability to create their own schedules and take care of personal obligations without having to ask for time off.
Of course, there are some challenges that come with remote work, such as feeling isolated from colleagues or dealing with distractions at home. But not many would expect that employers would want to micromanage the work hours and schedules of their remote employees. And it births the question: does working remotely make any difference in setting boundaries and promoting work-life balance?
I did a survey, getting opinions from five Nigerian workers who are indifferent about remote work.
5 Nigerians on why they prefer to work on-site instead of taking remote jobs
“To be honest, there’s no work-life balance for me as a remote worker” -Elizabeth
Currently, I work from home as an analyst, and it has its own perks. But I would have loved to work from the office though. Remote work is tricky, and if you’re not careful, you end up working 7 days a week. When you are out with the girls, you think of work and what you could be using the time to achieve. Working on-site sets a clear boundary for you and whatever you do out of typical work hours is just your extra effort. This is my own experience though, and if I’m given the opportunity, I think I’d rather work at the office.
“There’s a kind of work ethic that working on-site builds in you” – Diwura
I don’t exactly prefer on-site work, but I’m a fan of actually doing it for some time. There’s a kind of work ethic it builds in you, and you can’t learn it except through actually waking up, dressing up, and going to work. The work flexibility we have with remote work is like what’s happening to us these days, we can’t stay committed to one thing cause we feel like we have a choice to many others. I feel like we’re the “Pandemic launched employees” and we’ll never truly be able to learn what it makes to be dedicated to a job! It’s not like I want a 9-5 like that o, but let me know what it feels like small
“Not all employers know the meaning of remote work yet” -Princewill
To be honest, not all employers know the meaning of remote work yet. Or they know it and are not willing to fully embrace it. I work remotely at the moment and the I feel so micromanaged. There was a day I had to make some bank transactions during work hours, and I made sure there was no pending task to revert urgently before taking time off to go to the bank. My line manager called and found out I was in transit, and I became the subject of discussion during our next meeting. This doesn’t even happen everyday and I make sure I turn in all my deliverables in time, so why? I think remote work makes the pressure worse and the expectations beyond normal
“There’s something about working onsite that remote work will never give you” -Ibinabo
There’s something about working onsite that remote work will never give you. There’s the personal interaction with colleagues, clients, and customers. There’s the feeling of being in the thick of things, of being where the action is. And there’s the knowledge that you’re not just a cog in a machine, but an integral part of the team.
Of course, there are also downsides to working onsite. The commute can be a drag, and there are always the office politics to contend with. But on the whole, working onsite gives you a sense of connection and belonging that remote work can never quite match
“Working remotely does not allow everyone on the team to work on the same frequency” -Mariam
I live in an estate where the facilities are quite alright, and I have two colleagues who live in places with the extreme opposite conditions. Each time we have our team calls, it feels like they are less productive because there’s always one issue to deal with. I just feel that remote work does not allow us work on the same frequency, unlike working onsite where we all share the same facilities and experiences.
Working remotely has its own downsides, and there are modalities needed to thrive within that system. If you’re a remote worker, you might want to read these: How to excel in remote jobs as an African/Nigerian, and A series of best practices for a remote workplace.