Page 25 - Tristan Kwong

Focus Area research

Productivity ISOLATION

Workspace / One of the biggest concerns for telecommuters in regards to isolation are the effects of
Environment and Personal Needs : loneliness and its mental strain on an individual. The symptoms of isolation cause increased
stress levels, bad decision making and lack of focus.

There are numerous external factors present in offices and workplaces that are shared amenities amongst
workers.These factors can influence one’s productivity, focus and motivation. Employers also carry the burden and inability to measure their employee’s mental wellbeing
and workflow, whilst this lack of connection can also add to the remote workers depth of
Some Examples: Lighting, Noise, Temperature feeling isolated and disconnected.
These factors must remain constant in a workplace environment, but what if an individual prefers to work in a
dimly lit space with earbuds and heating up to the max? The move to remote working also brings the issue of cyber security and sensitive information
which is difficult to monitor on a networking platform in contrast to a physical space.
Remote working allows one the ability of curating their workspace to cater their personal needs that may not
have been met in a public work environment. Connectivity adds to one’s sense of self, well-being and belonging in a community. Loneliness
is most harmful when chronic and normalising remote working makes it much more difficult to

Working from home is all about location fulfil ones needs of connectivity and may also lead to a misjudgement of character, life skills
and work ethic.

Home and Work Life Balance / The lack of physical monitoring for remote workers create difficulty in personal growth and
career development due to every aspect being regulated online.
Telecommuters "worked 1.4 more days every month, or 16.8 more days every year" than people who worked
in an office.
BURNOUT /

Solutions to implement to aid remote working :
A 2019 survey by cloud infrastructure company Digital Ocean found that 82% of remote tech
Setting Boundaries workers in the U.S. felt burnt out, with 52% reporting that they work longer hours than those
Take Breaks in the office, and 40% feeling as though they needed to contribute more than their in-office
Follow a Schedule colleagues.
Make a Routine
Eliminate Distractions Employees that are new to remote work should keep this in mind, as they may
feel compelled to work longer hours and prove that they can be productive from home
Telecommuters on average work more days per year than the general office worker but this can bring about especially with less “extracurricular” post-work options. Furthermore, during the COVID-19
other issues that may affect productivity in the long run. pandemic, lines between personal and work life will blur even for professionals that are used
to working from home as an increasing number of schools close, meaning children will be
Remote workers run the risk of higher anxiety, stress levels and reportedly are more inclined to procrastinate home and working parents might struggle to separate responsibilities.
on tasks throughout their workday due to struggling with the intertwining of home and work life.

22. Productivity and Isolation