Work from home jobs for caregivers have been on the rise in recent years, and for good reason. A recent study by Mother Honestly and Care.com found that 73% of caregivers use the time they save from working from home to care for their children, and 70% use it to spend more time with their partner or spouse.
This report shows that remote work can be vital for work-life balance, and employers must take note of these findings before deciding to eliminate remote work. Having helped 21 organizations as a consultant in implementing hybrid work, I talk to a few leaders every week about how to manage their workforce talent strategy. And inevitably, parents and other caregivers come into the picture.
One of the main benefits of work from home jobs for caregivers is that it levels the gender playing field. Traditionally, caregiving responsibilities have been shouldered by women, but the ability to work from home has made it easier for men to contribute to child care and household chores.
The study found that 47% of men with a child under 15 felt they could spend more time with their kids and better help out their partners. This is a significant shift and it means that more opportunities are opening up for women to slow down on the homefront and ramp up on the workfront.
Additionally, managers and caregivers are on the same page when it comes to remote work. The study found that 77% of managers and 76% of caregivers agree that remote work improves workers’ overall quality of life. This is a significant shift as it shows that remote work has finally proven itself after three years of uncertainty from leaders.
It’s important to note that remote work doesn’t have to have a downside. Many workers and leaders are worried about the threat remote work poses to career advancement. The study found that 58% of women and 64% of men say remote work limits their career, while 48% of managers believe showing up to the office equates to more advancement opportunities. However, if employers truly commit to implementing a flexible and inclusive workplace, remote work can be a win-win for both employees and employers.
One of the challenges that companies face when implementing remote work is cognitive biases. Attentional bias can play a role, as managers may only pay attention to the negative aspects of remote work and ignore the positive benefits, despite the new research about the benefits of remote work for caregivers.
Another cognitive bias that can impact companies is the status quo bias. This bias can lead managers to prefer the status quo, even when it’s not the best option. For example, a manager may prefer to keep their employees in the office, even though remote work would benefit both the employees and the company through helping caregivers stay at their jobs.
Functional fixedness is another cognitive bias that can impact the remote work discussion. Managers may view remote work as a fixed concept and may not consider different variations of remote work, such as a hybrid model, that may better suit the company’s needs and help to provide work-life balance for caregivers.
The empathy gap can also play a role in the remote work discussion. Managers may not be able to fully understand the challenges that caregivers face and may not fully appreciate the benefits of remote work for caregivers.
It’s important for employers to understand that remote work can level the gender playing field, with men stepping up more than ever before due to newfound flexibility. Remote work also improves workers’ overall quality of life and can be a win-win for both employees and employers if implemented correctly.
However, employers must also be aware of the potential downsides of remote work and how cognitive biases can impact their decision-making process. It’s essential to consider different variations of remote work, such as a hybrid model, that may better suit the company’s needs.
Additionally, employers must understand that remote work can also have a positive impact on the company’s bottom line. A recent study from Stanford found that companies that offer remote work options have lower turnover rates, which in turn can save the company money in recruitment and training costs.
Work from home jobs for caregivers are becoming increasingly important as the need for work-life balance becomes more pressing. Employers must take note of the benefits of remote work for caregivers, and be aware of the potential downsides and how cognitive biases can impact their decision-making process. By implementing a flexible and inclusive workplace, employers can reap the benefits of remote work for both employees and the company.
I help leaders use hybrid work to improve productivity and retention while cutting costs as the CEO of the boutique future-of-work consultancy Disaster
A virtual office can help your online business manage mail, take phone calls, provides you with space to hold meetings, and so much more. Modern businesses can run almost entirely online, and thrive through the internet business culture.
From e-commerce to freelance programming, businesses can easily thrive without booking a commercial location as a headquarters. It’s even possible to have a completely remote team, none of whom have ever seen each other in person.
However, there are some things that you can’t do with online platforms and virtual communication alone. Here at Forma, we know know that some aspects of business require a physical location, and many of them are not well-suited to using a home for that purpose. Even if your home is your official HQ, you’d likely rather not share that information with customers or business partners.
The simple addition of a virtual office to your business resources can provide everything you might need from a commercial office—without the hassle or expense of actually relocating your business or renting commercial real estate.
What is a Virtual Office?
A virtual office offers you everything but a desk with your name on it. It refers to a commercial office in a desirable part of town that does all the things an office ought to. With a virtual office package, you canaccess mail handling services, host on-site meetings or have a receptionist handle your calls.
The key difference is that the only people who work in the virtual office are office support staff. Everyone else—including all the businesses and their teams—simply use the office as an address, and as a shared office resource center. This is incredibly useful for online businesses that have no need to rent commercial office space.
We’re here to help businesses that share the Forma virtual office to save money on commercial rental, and the hassle of actually working in an office. While also providing all the perks of a fully staffed and highly effective office environment.
What an Online/ Remote Company Needs from a Physical Office
For self-employed persons and small business owners, there are benefits to be reaped from having a commercial office.
These include:
Increased credibility
Privacy (keeping your residential address private)
Access to receptionist services
Flexible access to office facilities
Benefits of a Commercial Address
The first major perk of working with a virtual office is that you can use the office address as the on-record address for your business.
Experienced entrepreneurs would probably know the value of having a prime business address. However, startups may be surprised by the impact this can create.
1. Customers Trust an Office Location
When a customer or business partner looks up your location, having a prime business address can make all the difference in the eyes of a prospective customer.
A commercial physical address builds trust through credibility, and projects a more professional image.
2. Commercial Office as Your Registered Address
You can also use the virtual office as your company’s official registered address. This is the address of the business location where your company is incorporated.
With Forma as your registered address, all documents on your business will be delivered to our central London location.
3. SEO Geolocation
One of the key benefits of using a virtual office address as the registered address of your business is SEO geolocation.
That’s because many online services still benefit from the ‘near me’ feature in search engines.
It allows prospective clients or business partners to seek out targets based on where they are located. Virtual offices are most useful when they are located in the heart of the nearest city—especially if you run the business from a home that’s located out of town, or in a suburb.
With our virtual office location, your business will appear to be located in EC1 central London, surrounded by potential clients. As businesses increasingly go digital, the value that a well-placed SEO geolocator pin brings can’t be overlooked.
4. Keep Your Home Address Private
A final bonus to the virtual location is that your home address no longer has to appear anywhere in any business documentation.
You won’t need to list it on the website, business partners won’t need it to send packages or mail. Even if you are still running the business from your home, your home address will be kept private.
Hosting Clients in a Virtual Office
Of course, the benefits of working with a virtual office doesn’t stop at simply having access to a virtual address. You’ll also gain access to a physical workspace and office amenities.
Forma’s virtual office package provides access to elegant meeting areas, conference rooms, mail handling services and professional reception staff.
5. Conduct Meetings in a Real Office Space
When you need to meet a new client, you’re unlikely to want to hold a meeting at your home. Yet, meeting up at a cafe isn’t always conducive either.
With our virtual office, you can access formal meeting spaces, where clients will feel comfortable and relaxed. You’ll also be able to access a range of office equipment if needed.
6. Book a Conference Room When Needed
Whether you’re holding an all-hands staff meeting to cover important business plans, or meeting with a group of prospective clients or business partners, you can easily access conference rooms that are booked by the hour.
Our conference rooms and meeting spaces and well-appointed and fully equipped, which lends credibility to your business.
7. Unexpected Visitors Greeted in a Real Office
Let’s say a customer comes looking for you unannounced, and arrives without an appointment at your business’s listed address.
Here’s where our virtual office offering comes into the picture.
Rather than arriving confused at your home and wondering if they have gotten the wrong address, your customers will instead arrive at a well-appointed office and be greeted by our receptionist.
The Perks of Having a Virtual Office
Online businesses often miss out on the niceties of working in a fully staffed city office, such as having a receptionist handle your routine calls and emails, a working mail room, or access to other business professionals to ask for advice.
At Forma, we strive to provide these services to online businesses:
8. Phone & Email Reception Services
We are fully staffed with the support personnel that every office needs to survive.
Our receptionist is available to answer your business calls and emails, and will only send along the important details so you’re able to focus on running your business.
9. Business Mail & Package Forwarding
A key concern for businesses using a virtual office is having their mail or packages delivered to their virtual office address—and not their home address (where they’re mainly working from).
That’s not something you need to worry about when you sign up with Forma. We receive your mail personally (not through a PO box), and we also offer a mail forwarding service—so that once the packages arrive at your listed address, they will be sent on to your functional address post haste.
This ensures that you get all your mail and packages where you need them— while still gaining all the benefit of using a commercial address.
10. Local Telephone Number
While phone locality hardly matters in a functional sense, it can lend credibility to your business among local clients. When you join our virtual office, you will also gain the benefit of a local business number that prospective clients are familiar with, and trust.
11. Unlimited Business Advice
Every business owner, big or small, new or established, needs advice from time to time. Particularly when navigating the maze of paperwork and taxes that keep a business afloat.
Not all virtual offices offer this service, but some may offer access to, or advice from their own team of financial and legal staff. At Forma, we’ll gladly provide you with unlimited practical advice and small business resources on how to navigate your finances and the small business legal landscape.
In conclusion
A thriving online business is a powerful thing in today’s world, but you still need a commercial office as your headquarters.
With our virtual office service, you don’t have to break the bank or uproot your operations to acquire a physical office space—yet you’ll be able to enjoy the benefits that come with having a prime business address.
People are being asked to work longer hours and pick up other teams' slack, all because of their time zone. Tyler Le/Insider
When interviewing for a job at a creative agency based on the West Coast, Jane was assured she could work East Coast hours. But almost immediately after she started the job, the expectations shifted. Jane, whose name has been changed since she still works in the same industry and fears being blacklisted for negative comments, said coworkers expected her to respond to Slack messages in the morning and late at night and she was invited to meetings well after her working hours ended, she told me. “I was expected to be responsive 24/7,” she said.
In the age of remote work, many people have left coastal hubs for more affordable cities across America. This means many more workers are in different time zones from their coworkers, bosses, and companies. And some employees have felt they have been exploited because of their differing time zones, being expected to take on extra work.
Other employees I spoke with said it felt as if working hours had no meaning in the remote world and that they were “on call” more than before, often because of their time-zone difference. While working remotely offers benefits that often weren’t available in a pre-pandemic world, such as living in less busy or less expensive cities, working flexible hours, or getting to wear sweatpants instead of business slacks, the issue of time zones is already causing confusion, miscommunication, and even prejudice against employees working on a different clock.
Employees and freelancers who are able to have spread out across the US and the globe — creating large time differences between them and the people they work with. But while the coronavirus pandemic created a surge in remote work, it isn’t a pandemic novelty for companies to have a global reach. Businesses have been navigating time zones as long as “telecommuting” has been in the lexicon. While remote is all the rage now, Gallup figures indicate 39% of Americans worked remotely in some capacity in 2012, too.
But the shift in which companies are now offering remote work options provides a clue to why time-zone bias is becoming worse. Previously, most of the businesses that hired international and across states were bigger companies with bigger infrastructure. They are more likely to have software that can handle scheduling, videoconferencing, and accommodating larger groups of people in different time zones.
Smaller companies may not be able to afford scheduling software or dedicated staff members to manage scheduling, leaving the onus of navigating time zones to managers and employees. With a surge in how many people are working remotely and from where, more people than before are navigating large time differences. As with any shift, there is a learning curve.
Some employees I spoke with felt that their companies were just careless and didn’t realize or remember differences in time zones. After a US-based company he worked for was purchased by a company based in Europe, R. Karl Hebenstreit noticed that “all of our team meetings were scheduled around European time zones and holidays, while the US employees and the Asia-based employees were afterthoughts.”
Katrina, whose last name has been withheld so she wouldn’t get in trouble for speaking about her job, is a customer-service associate for a nationwide telecommunications company. She often didn’t have a supervisor at the end of the day because of the time-zone difference. In one case, she said, she was “admonished” for not handling a situation with a customer the same way the supervisor, who wasn’t reachable, would have.
For Hebenstreit, the bias toward a European schedule caused more work to fall on his shoulders. “Meetings were scheduled on and without regard to US holidays (even though we have automatic calendars that inform us of these details),” he told me. “And due to Europe’s more generous vacation, part-time schedule, and holiday schedules, the US employees were expected to pick up the slack for their European counterparts by taking on their clients as well.”
John, who worked for a company in Texas and lives on the West Coast, also had to pick up other teams’ slack because of his time zone. (His name has been changed to avoid retaliation since he still works in the same industry.) Because he was the last to log on for the day, “end-of-day deliverables like coverage reports, rapid commentary, etc. often got handed over to me,” John told me.
Managers are often not trying to exploit; they’re simply not able to remember everyone’s time zones when managing a large team. But often, that unintentional bias can lead to full-on prejudice….Read more….
When you first start your business, your own home may well be all the space you need. But every new business needs to grow. So sooner or later, you’ll find yourself needing a bit more room to work in. Renting or buying your own offices is not always possible at his point – it’s expensive and, for many small businesses, excessive. So what is the solution?
Well, startups can benefit from coworking spaces, so this is one option you may want to consider. And it’s not just because they’re budget-friendly either; there are other ways in which coworking spaces can be helpful to a business that’s just starting out.
What are coworking spaces?
Simply put, a coworking place is a temporary office space you share with other businesses. You can rent a simple desk for yourself, a whole office for all your employees, or a meeting room where you can get together with potential clients. Not only is the space fully furnished, but it also comes with various features such as high-speed Wi-Fi, access to printers, comfortable common spaces, secure lockers, complimentary snacks, and more – depending on the space you choose.
Ways in which startups can benefit from coworking spaces
Although any business can take advantage of coworking spaces, they are especially beneficial for startups because of their flexibility. When you choose coworking spaces over traditional offices, you can:
Save money on rent and utilities
When you’re just starting your business, every penny counts. It is, therefore, essential to find affordable and cost-effective solutions for everything, including office space. For this reason, most small businesses start in a garage or a kitchen. But a time will come when your business outgrows your home, and you need to start thinking about setting up an office.
However, traditional office space is costly to rent and often requires signing a contract for at least a few months, if not longer. So, if you’re looking to get all the advantages of an office without paying an exorbitant price, coworking spaces are the perfect solution. With flexible and affordable pricing plans, they can save you thousands of dollars in rent. Furthermore, you will not have to worry about utilities – electricity, Wi-Fi, water, and cleaning are all included in the price!
Get a great working space for as long as you need
It is an unfortunate truth that starting a business is always a risky endeavor. In the beginning, it is difficult to predict how much profit you’ll make and how much you’ll have to spend on office space. Your situation can change quite drastically quite quickly, so it’s best to have a flexible solution rather than a lengthy rental contract. That’s exactly what coworking spaces provide – you can rent them by the day, week, or month and cancel them on short notice.
Become more productive
If your startup practices work from home, you may find that your productivity is not where it should be. When this happens, it’s good to switch things up and start working from an actual office. Coworking spaces are a convenient and affordable way to do this. You can get your work-life balance back without committing to an office job.
Use the opportunity to network
Coworking spaces are shared among businesses. Even if you rent an entire office for yourself and your team, you’ll still be running into other people in common areas. This is an excellent opportunity to meet business owners like yourself, make connections in your industry, and expand your network.
Some coworking spaces even organize events specifically for this purpose. So don’t miss your chance – who knows whom you might meet through shared office spaces! You may find new business partners, talented employees, or specialists you didn’t even realize you needed.
Learn from other startups and small businesses
Startups and small businesses are the ones that most often rely on coworking spaces, so you’ll probably meet a lot of people just like you. The experts at WP Full Care, who started out just like this, say that that’s one of the best things about coworking spaces – they provide you with a support network. You can talk to others who are facing the same issues and working toward the same goals as you are. So don’t hesitate to initiate a conversation.
Both you and those around you stand to benefit from friendships made in coworking spaces. You can swap experiences and learn from each other about what does and doesn’t work in the world of startups.
What to look for in coworking spaces
Although startups can benefit from coworking spaces in many ways, you’ll only really get the most out of one if you choose well. Much like regular offices, coworking spaces come in many shapes and forms. It’s crucial to find one that fits your needs.
The first thing to look at is the location – there’s no point renting an office across town. Then, take a look at the space on offer – how much room are you getting, and what does it look like? Next, you’ll want to check out the amenities – what is included in the fee?
Finally, but no less importantly, you need to learn the price. It’s best to compare a few options (including the cost of renting traditional office space) because this will help you make the best possible decision. And remember: price on its own doesn’t mean much – take a good look at what you’re getting for the rate you’re paying. You should be aiming for the most cost-effective solution, which is not always the same as the cheapest option.
In the ongoing battle between bosses and workers over returning to the office, recent data shows ... [+] getty
In the ongoing battle between bosses and workers over returning to the office, recent data shows more people are trudging back to the workplace. In the first week following Labor Day, office usage in 10 major metro areas neared 50% of 2020’s pre-pandemic attendance, reports Kastle Systems, a key-card property management company that tracks entries into office buildings.
There were more workers in the office last week than there have been since the pandemic started. However, in-office attendance is still lower than what it was before the virus outbreak. The in-office numbers may be low since Kastle’s data doesn’t include many of the city’s biggest real estate owners, including large law firms, banks, financial services and Wall Street firms.
Separately, the Partnership for New York City, a business industry trade group, surveyed more than 160 major Manhattan office employers between August 29 and September 12 to take the pulse of how many employees returned to the office or are still working remotely. Results indicate that 49% of Manhattan office workers are currently at the workplace on an average weekday—up from 38% in April.
Under 10% of employees are in the office five days a week. The number of fully remote workers fell from 28% in April to 16% as of mid-September. Train ridership is another indicator reflecting a return-to-office pickup after Labor Day. Many companies used the long weekend as the last gasp of freedom before ordering their employees back to headquarters.
After the long holiday weekend, 200,000 passengers rode the Long Island Rail Road into Manhattan. The number of riders was the highest level since March 2020. Commuters from Westchester and surrounding suburbs riding the Metro-North Railroad in the City hit a high point compared to the pandemic period with 174,900 riders. Additionally, New York City public transit data showed an increase in returning workers with subway ridership, having 3.7 million riders for the first time since the onset of the pandemic.
The Partnership for New York City predicts that there will ultimately be a tipping point when the majority return to office. According to the Partnership’s analysis, 54% of workers will ultimately return to an office setting by January 2023. Even the tech industry, which has been the most resistant to going back to an office, is nearing the tipping point. Currently, average daily office attendance by tech professionals is at 47%, and that number is expected to increase to 50% by January.
Shifting Power Dynamics
There is a power dynamic shift taking place between the employee and employer. Throughout 2021 and early this year, workers were in high demand. Desperately needing staff as the economy reopened, companies catered to the workers. Seemingly overnight, the mood dramatically changed. As inflation raged, wreaking havoc on the economy, along with other geopolitical and macro events, thousands of people were downsized, hiring freezes put in place and job offers rescinded.
Americans now find themselves in a period of austerity. As this plays out, the dynamics between employees and employers will dramatically change. Companies will start clamping down and wielding their power, and the first order of business will be the return to office. A study conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) found that supervisors have “negative perceptions” of the work-from-home trend and said they’d prefer their staff to operate from an office setting.rity
The managers who responded to the survey were brutally honest. Nearly 70% replied that remote workers are “more easily replaceable than onsite workers.” About 62% contend that “full-time remote work is detrimental to employees’ career objectives and 72% say they would prefer all of their subordinates to be working in the office.”
The Hybrid Model
The dominant style of work is the hybrid model, promoted by tech companies, which calls for people to work from the office two or three days out of the week and the rest of the time from home—or wherever they so choose. However, while tech leadership offered fully remote and hybrid options, Amazon, Facebook, Apple, Amazon and Google scooped up commercial real estate after prices plummeted, due to the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic.
The companies are making a bold contrarian bet that Manhattan will bounce back and there will still be a need for people to work in offices. Facebook leased enough space in New York City to triple the amount of people that can work in the city. Apple, which has been in New York for at least a decade, plans to expand its footprint there. Google and Amazon are snatching up space in the city more than any other place in the United States.
Amazon recently paid about $1 billion to acquire the Lord & Taylor flagship building in Midtown Manhattan from WeWork. Collectively, the tech behemoths can accommodate over 20,000 workers. In hindsight, it looks like the tech giants were hedging their bets by offering flexible options, while scooping up real estate in case they needed to change their work style.
The Showdown: Workers Will Continue To Push For Remote Work Options
You will likely soon see a showdown. Many surveys over the last year or so show that employees adamantly responded that they would rather quit than commute back to an office. People have grown accustomed to a better work-life balance by being at home. They appreciate the autonomy and freedom that comes with the flexibility of choice. Their productivity and hours spent working are above reproach.
Runaway inflation has driven the costs of commuting into big cities. The prices of fuel, automobile maintenance, food, business clothing and other necessities will eat into their paycheck, which is already depressed, due to inflation, making the money worth less than it was only six months ago. The long, exhausting, soul-sucking and expensive commute, along with random acts of terrifying violence, is keeping workers from returning to their offices.
In the ongoing tug-of-war battle over companies pushing people to come back into major cities, such as Manhattan, business executives conveniently gloss over these real issues and pretend they don’t exist. If you are commuting into the Big Apple from one of the boroughs, Westchester, Long Island, the suburbs of Connecticut or New Jersey, your commute can easily take two-plus hours door-to-door roundtrip.
The timing is generous, as it doesn’t include the daily frustrations of train delays, constant work being done on the tracks and mechanical issues with the bus where everyone needs to get off and is left stranded on the side of the road until another bus can pick them up. When you come home, you’re tired and burned out.
You also have to worry about your physical safety. New York City can be a dangerous place. According to data from the New York City Police Department, “crime increased by 34.2% in April 2022,” compared to the same period last year. There has been a “43.5% increase in grand larceny” and “burglaries also increased by 39.4%,” compared to last year, which was high to begin with. In April alone, there were 1,261 robberies, 2,044 felony assaults, 3,867 instances of grand larceny and 105 shootings. These represent the reported acts, and the number of unreported incidents is likely much higher.
The most recent data from the New York City Police Department showed an overall increase in crime during August 2022 by 26% compared with August 2021, 38% increase in robbery, 34.7% increase in grand larceny and a 31.1% rise in burglary.
Rationale For Businesses To Promote In-Office Work
David Solomon, the CEO of Goldman Sachs, epitomized Wall Street’s view of not being in the office, saying remote work is an “aberration.” Wall Street banks are the most ardent proponents of getting people into the office. It’s reasonable that the leadership feels this way. The securities industry is highly regulated. They need to consider money laundering, insider trading, ponzi schemes, churning client accounts for higher commissions and other inappropriate activities. If all the bankers, brokers and traders are under one roof, it’s easier for the compliance, legal, risk, audit and regulatory personnel to keep tabs on them.
There is another rationale at play too. In New York City, Mayor Eric Adams has been a strong proponent of businesses getting their employees back into the office. As crime and violence escalated in the Big Apple, as there were fewer people around, Adams contends that with commuters coming back, there will be safety in numbers.
There is also an economic reason. If commuters from New Jersey, Long Island and Connecticut suburbs won’t return, the ecosystem of restaurants, mom-and-pop shops, retail stores, nail salons, gyms and other small businesses will likely fail. This would cause job losses, empty streets, invite more crime and deter both workers and potential tourists from coming into New York City.
The Benefits Of Returning To An Office
Starting a new job is stressful. It’s even harder when you’re doing it remotely. If you’re just beginning to build a career, working remotely may serve as a roadblock to your future success. After over two years of being at home, you most likely lost touch with some or all of your social contacts. If you remain remote, you run the risk of feeling isolated and it will be difficult to cultivate a group of like-minded people.
For young adults, going to the office has positive social benefits. You will meet new people, make friends and build a network of alliances that could help you throughout your career. There are a host of benefits to being at the office. You can find mentors to help navigate your career. There will be serendipitous meetings in the hallways, cafeteria, elevator and bathrooms. These impromptu interactions add up over time. It makes your work life better—or at least more tolerable—by having cohorts that share the same experiences.
Work from home...Surface/Unsplash
