Remote Working Technology 

Alice: I don’t think I’m alone in thinking that technology would lead to a huge change in the way we work. Remote working technology is not expensive and it’s easy to use. But most workers I know still commute to an office in the middle of a city. Why? It doesn’t make sense. Commuting is stressful, costly and time-consuming. Renting space for desks and meeting rooms in city centers is prohibitively expensive for businesses.

Alice: At the same time, remote workers are more productive – it’s been proven. Bosses can have meetings online. They can track their employees’ output rather than their input, and collaborate using online project management software. So why are we still trudging to the office? Is it because our bosses don’t trust us?

Alice: Is it because company managers and directors haven’t done the training in remote working management practice? Is it because we don’t know how we’d be able to network, negotiate or influence from a desk in our spare room? Is it because we fear feeling isolated in our houses in suburbia miles away from the coffee shops and bars where we know our colleagues will be after work?

Vocabulary:

Remote working – the practice of an employee doing their job from a location outside of the central corporate office, such as their home or a co-working space, “Companies that offer remote working often save a lot of money on physical office space.”

commute – to travel regularly over some distance between one’s home and place of work or study, “He has a long daily commute that takes over an hour each way by train.”

prohibitively expensive – costing so much money that it prevents people or businesses from buying or doing something, “Buying a building in the downtown area has become prohibitively expensive for most small startups.”

productive – achieving or producing a significant amount of good results or work efficiently, “Listening to classical music helps her stay focused and productive throughout the afternoon.”

output – the total amount of work, goods, or results produced by a person, machine, or organization, “The manager evaluates employees based on their actual output rather than the number of hours they spend at their desks.”

input – the time, effort, data, or resources that are put into a project, system, or process, “The project succeeded because every team member contributed valuable input during the planning stages.”

collaborate – to work jointly or together with others on a common project, goal, or task, “Designers and writers must collaborate closely to create an engaging children’s book.”

project management software – digital tools and applications used by teams to plan, track, organize, and assign daily tasks and deadlines, “Our company uses project management software to keep track of everyone’s responsibilities.”

trudging – walking slowly, heavily, or with a lot of physical or mental effort, usually because you are tired or unhappy about where you are going, “After the long workday, he was trudging through the snow to get to the bus station.”

management practice – the specific methods, systems, rules, and strategies that leaders use to direct, guide, and organize a company’s staff, “Adopting a modern management practice can significantly improve trust between bosses and employees.”

network – to interact, communicate, and build professional relationships with other people in your industry to exchange information or find career opportunities, “Attending local business conferences is a fantastic way to network with potential clients.”

negotiate – to have a formal discussion with someone in order to reach a mutual agreement, compromise, or business deal, “The union met with company executives to negotiate better health benefits for the workers.”

influence – the capacity or power to affect, guide, or change the character, development, or behavior of someone or something, “A great manager uses strong communication skills to influence the team in a positive way.”

isolated – feeling lonely, separate, or completely cut off from other people, social interactions, or community activities, “Working from home all week made her feel a bit isolated from her colleagues.”

suburbia – the residential areas outside of a crowded city center, typically consisting of houses, families, and a quieter lifestyle, “Many families prefer moving to suburbia because the schools are larger and the neighborhoods are quieter.”