Today in the 21st century, there are more options than ever for American employees. Computers, the Internet, telephones, Cloud data storage, and more allow workers to share files and data with anyone, anywhere, and anytime, and this includes remote workers, too. Many studies are being done to gauge how effective remote and Internet-only work options can be, and the results are encouraging. Customer service jobs, online customer service jobs from home, part time insurance agent jobs, and more can be done at home, without the employee ever visiting the actual office. These may prove to be flexible careers for moms who can’t easily leave their household for work, since they may be responsible for children under 18 years old.
Thus, a mother, in particularly single mothers, may try part time insurance agent jobs from a home office, and it is not just single parents who may enjoy remote work arrangements. Some employees work from home for an insurance company or the like simply to avoid the noise and stress of the actual work space, and managers often agree to these arrangements or even encourage it. If someone is working as a part time insurance agent, they may choose between arriving at an office, or working form home. Why might each route be taken?
Working at the Office
For a control group, one may first think about what it is like to work at the office itself. Although many employees are working remotely, there are some reasons to come in to the office in person, whether working as a part time insurance agent, a full-time sales rep at a paper supplier, or more. For one thing, working at the office means that the employee may make use of hardware they can’t find at home, such as fax machines or photocopiers, or specialized printers. What is more, employees who work at the office may get many more opportunities to impress their manager, and personal interactions with their co-workers and managers build effective relationships that can help advance a worker’s career.
Similarly, employees in the office may have regular interviews done with their managers, where those employees can report their level of job satisfaction in terms of pay, workplace culture, personal growth opportunities, and more. A job is not just a source of income; employees want personal growth and connections opportunities, too, and managers will make sure that their employees get them. Face-to-face interviews are effective for this.
Working Remotely
Working at the office is the standard paradigm for work, but there are substantial reasons to be remote, too. For one, a worker may not like the noise or dirt at the office. Many offices have a lot of airborne particles due to dirty carpets and/or from dirty and old air conditioning units. Studies have proven that a high density of airborne VOCs and bacteria lead to allergies, more sick days, and even lower cognitive function. In short, many offices have air that’s very unfriendly to the average employee. There is also the issue of noise, as many workplaces, especially call centers and sales areas, have a lot of chatter taking place. This makes it difficult for an employee to focus on their own phone conversations, increasing stress levels while lowering customer or client service satisfaction. That may lead to lost sales and upset customer, an expensive problem indeed.
Remote work avoids the problems of noise and bad air at the office, and this may boost a remote employee’s focus and productivity while lowering their stress and work error rates. This can make them happier and save money, and the worker may also dedicate commute time to more work. A remote employee may not just want this, arrangement, but need it if they don’t have easy transport to the office or if they have kids at home they can’t leave alone for the day. Single parents in particular may find themselves in this situation.
The Internet and telephones keep a remote worker connected. Phone calls are easy and stress-free due to the quiet and controlled environment, and e-mail and Cloud storage easily allow the remote worker to send and share files of all sorts. Live video chat apps allow the remote worker to attend meetings or interviews with a virtual presence.
