Work from home (WFH) has become a desirable and common way to conduct business in 2022 in Australia, and we will briefly look at why this is so. Starting with the Covid-19 pandemic, we will see that online living is the new norm. Then, we will discuss the advantages of WFH, and finally, we will look at which jobs are best suited to this structure. It seems evident that remote work is sticking around in Australia.
Work from home is a concept that has been around for a while, with people working from home as a way to reduce costs and increase productivity. This has become even more important recently due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When we think about working from home, we think of remote work, such as being a freelancer or having a part-time job where you work from home but are also self-employed or work in a small business.
Online Is The New Norm
It is no secret that we live in an increasingly digital world, with jobs, socializing, and shopping all moving more and more into the online sphere.
Work From Home
The Australian Government Productivity Commission did a report on WFH in 2021. The report found that around three-quarters of workers surveyed felt they were at least as productive working from home as they were in the office. Moreover, many employees highly value the ability to work remotely. In fact, they are even willing to change jobs or accept lower wages in order to continue working from home.
Remote Events and Online Shopping
In Australia, as with the wider western world, events such as weddings, baby showers, and graduations now often have an online attendance option. Many institutions have realized that this results in better attendance and makes events more accessible to people who have restricted mobility or lack the financial resources to travel to an occasion. As for retail, according to WorldFirst, Australian social media shopping rose by 700% during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although we are now coming out the other side of the pandemic, it is clear to see that many people have realized they prefer to keep certain aspects of their lives online.
Advantages of WFH
In Australia in 2022, the most common WFH jobs include online writing, social media management, web development, data analysis, graphic design, online tutoring, consulting, personal training, digital marketing, and admin. However, there are many other jobs that have migrated online and found ways to function well remotely.
The advantages of WFH are many, but notably, it is much more convenient and time-saving for employees. Especially if you have a long commute, childcare needs, or a second job, reducing travel time and costs and being more available for your children can make all of the difference to your work-life balance.
As for employers, it can save money to have a percentage of employees working remotely, as less office space is needed. Moreover, it is easier to hire if you offer (at least partially) remote work, as this is what most people are looking for in 2022. Finally, allowing employees to WFH increases overall job satisfaction in the business.
This has been a very brief look at WFH in Australia in 2022. We have seen that many sectors of life have migrated online in recent years, including work, social, and retail. This is in part due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but now people are realizing the convenience of this new way of life, and it is sticking. We have seen which jobs work particularly well remotely and how remote work can benefit both employees and employers. It seems that WFH is here to stay.
