Work From Home: The Greatest Trend of 2022

In the past, working from home had a bad reputation among employers fearful of their workers’ productivity. Therefore, it was normally only a privilege reserved for freelancers and those in creative industries that could afford to do so. But the pandemic has changed the way both employees and employers view this once rare phenomenon, and “working from home” has become one of the top trends of 2022.

Is work from home good? 

In general, working from home has been proven to have positive effects on people’s personal life. Time spent at home means less time spent commuting and more time spent with loved ones, which can have great mental health advantages. Saving time in this way also allows people to get extra health benefits like more sleep, exercising, cooking better food and less stay up. So, if you ask someone who has been working from home for the past year or so what they think about it, many would agree that they do prefer it to the office. And although not everyone would agree, there are certainly great aspects of working from home that are worth talking about.

Why work from home is good?

Working from home can actually be more productive than working in the office because there are fewer distractions. A recent report revealed that workers at home do take longer breaks on average. However, these breaks were accounted for in the fact that workers actually remain productive for an extra 10 minutes per day at home as opposed to an office. Additionally, remote employees on average work 1.4 more days per month than those who go to an office, which results in more than three additional weeks of work per year. Therefore, working from home can be a win-win for both employers and employees, and they both report more satisfaction with their daily life, which is a great plus.

Work from home disadvantages

Now that we’ve established all the benefits of working from home, it helps to know that there are disadvantages too. These are worth considering before deciding to go fully remote.

a. Increased isolation

If you live in a small apartment or don’t have a good support network of friends and family, then workplace can actually be a refuge for your social life. It gives you balance and a place to be, and has a built-in support network. When you work remotely, you may lose a lot of the camaraderie that makes office life so rich, and can end up feeling lonely and isolated.

b. Overworking

We previously mentioned that remote workers actually experience greater rates of productivity, but there are risks involved with overworking, too. If you don’t have a clearly defined schedule, you may end up working much longer than you intended, which can lead to higher levels of stress and burn-out. Additionally, since you are always “on-call,” you may feel it is hard to “shut-down” at the end of the day.

c. Disproportionate work-life balance

This relates to overworking. Sure, working from home can offer you the chance to better manage your home and family life, but it is also hard to distinguish what is family time and what is work time when you’re constantly working at home. A good way to overcome this is to set work hours with yourself and stick to them, and if you can, set aside a separate room for an at-home office. This way the couch or chair that you relax or eat dinner in doesn’t become your work chair/work couch, and vice versa.

d. Job security

This one mainly applies to freelance workers, but can also apply to more traditional jobs that transition to remote work as well. Freelance workers don’t often receive benefits, and when you’re not working, you’re not making money. The security is much weaker than a typical salaried job.

Is working from home right for you?

Overall, you need to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of working from home for yourself. If you’re someone who thrives under freedom and has no problem creating a schedule for yourself and sticking to it, then working from home could be the perfect option for you. However, if you’re someone who prefers structure but doesn’t know how to establish it for yourself, then perhaps office life is best for you. 

How do I start working at home?

The easiest way to start working from home is to ask your employer if working from home is possible before looking for a new job or to look for some side-gigs to do in your spare time. If you're unsure how to proceed, here are the instructions for you.

Work from home guidelines for employees

1) Transfer your office job to your home job

Unless you’re in the service and/or food and beverage industry (or currently unemployed), the easiest way to begin working from home is to try and arrange it with your employer. 

If you already perform most of your job responsibilities from your computer or phone or think you could perform most of your job responsibilities this way, then working from home could be an easy transition for you to make. 

You can start by seeing if anyone else in your office regularly works from home. Are there some people you notice not in the office on certain days? Try and pay attention to the regular routine and schedule of your workplace, and see what days are normally most slow. These could be prime days to ask your boss if you can work from home. Remember: it doesn’t have to be full-time at first, you can try out one or two days a week or even a month and see if it affects your work at all.

Also, pay attention to what tasks you think would be most hard to perform at home. Are there certain meetings that must be done in real life? Why is that? Do you need to perform site-checks or meet with clients? Take into consideration how much of this could be done at home (or not!), and begin to formulate a plan for just how much time you think you can manage between your office and home. 

Then, when you think you’re ready, you can arrange a meeting with your employer and present your case for why you think working from home could be a good option not only for yourself, but also for them. Remember that most employees who work from home report higher rates of productivity!

2) Look for some freelance work

Maybe you are curious about working from home but don’t want to quit your day job or go all-in too soon. That’s totally fine and understandable. If you have the necessary skills, you can always do some side-gigs in your spare time and see how you like it.

What work can you do from home?

There is a list of ten emerging jobs that you can do when you choose to work from home:

1. Online Educator
Online educators instruct learners in many academic subjects. Depending on the role, different degrees are required. It’s one of the easiest work-from-home jobs to break into with a salary between $34,000 and $94,000 per year.

2. Web Developer
Web developers are responsible for creating, designing, and maintaining websites. And they’re also in charge of resolving the technical issues. The average web developer’s’ salary is $60,949 per year.

3. SEO Specialist
An SEO expert will pinpoint strategies, techniques, and tactics to boost website traffic and achieve a prominent position on search engine results pages. Usually, they’ll earn $48,910 per year.

4. Social Media Influencer
A social media influencer is a person who regularly shares images, videos, live streams, articles, and recommendations for new items on social media platforms with an average salary between  $29,000 and $55,000 per year.

5. Editor
An editor is responsible for the post-production process for various media before publication. Their average salary is $56,043 per year.

6. Vlogger
Vloggers produce brief videos online about a range of topics, such as personal lives, beauty, travel, culture, etc. Average salary per year: $43,000

7. Translator
Translators translate documents from one language to another. Sometimes, you’ll need a qualification certification to pursue this career. Average salary per year: $50,202

8. Data Entry Clerk
The duties of data entry clerks include data processing, collation, proofreading, and entering. Average salary per year: $35,628

9. Event Planner
Event planners arrange every aspect of an event, including conceptualizing theme ideas, setting budgets, reserving venues, communicating with vendors and clients, etc. Average salary per year: $51,456

10. Illustrator
An illustrator is an artist who specializes in enhancing writing or elucidating concepts by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text or idea. Average salary per year: $51,055

Where to find work-from-home jobs?

In an era of increased connectivity, finding fully remote or even partly remote jobs has never been easier online. Here, we've conducted research and compiled a list of the ten most well-liked work-from-home platforms that you can use to locate a fulfilling remote employment. 

1. We Work Remotely
2. Jobspresso
3. Skip the Drive
4. FlexJobs
5. Remote OK
6. Virtual Vocations
7. Crossover
8. Working Nomads
9. Upwork
10. Fiverr

What is the Best Work from Home job site?

Currently, the best work from home job site is Fiverr. Fiverr offers great communication and customer support that helps resolve issues easily between employers and employees. Additionally, Fiverr is one of the few platforms that offers multi-currency exchanges, which makes it easy to work remotely with clients from around the world.

Work from home essential tools

So here you are… You’ve weighed the pros and cons of working from home and known how to find a satisfying job. Now what? Since you’re going to be working from home, it helps to have the best set-up possible to make your work station just as happy and comfortable as your bed or favorite chair.

OMOTON offers a wide range of quality products for your needs, including a wireless keyboard, screen protector, laptop stand, and phone stand. So no matter what profession you do, we have you covered.

OMOTON Wireless Keyboard

This product is great for working from the couch or taking your keyboard with you if you alternate between the office and home.

OMOTON Screen Protector

Important for everyone, not just remote workers! A screen protector ensures your phone, tablet, or laptop doesn’t crack up and fail when you need it the most.

OMOTON Laptop Stand

If you don’t want to invest in a full desktop set-up for your home office, a laptop stand could be the perfect choice for you. It helps keep your wrists elevated and your laptop in line with your line of sight for maximum comfort.

OMOTON Phone Stand

This product is great for zoom meetings or face-times when you want to take notes on your computer at the same time, and ensures your phone always stays charged all day.

Finally, you are ready to work from home. It’s time to try it out! Talk to your employer, pick up a side-gig, invest in a desk and some OMOTON tools for the home, and give it a go!