Remote work and the rise of coworking spaces

The catch

An idea was popularized; we do not all have to be in the office. We could do our jobs from the comfort of our homes.

Even when offices mandated that we resume our normal office hours, it took a lot of willpower to get people to come back to the office.

Many establishments had to send strongly worded letters to their employees to make them come to the office.

Apart from this, many companies are employing a lot of people remotely.

The truth is with zoom, google meet, and many digital technology people don’t have to communicate in a physical location.

By the numbers

But does working at home increase productivity? A study in October 2020 by the Office for United Kingdom’s National Statistics showed that "more than 4.2 million Brits are working from home, yet only 12% of respondents find it more productive than being surrounded by colleagues."

Why remote work isn't always possible

However, working remotely has its many disadvantages, being stuck in a place can be depressing. The isolation can create a less structured and distracting working environment. Not to mention that meeting with your colleagues and talking to them fosters team bonding.

Plus, there is no separation of working hours and home time. That in itself ruins the work-life balance. Employers are more likely to think you have all the time in the world to respond to their every request.

In a place like Nigeria, there are a lot of issues with a good internet connection and epileptic electricity supply.

Coworking spaces

In urban areas like Lagos, Ibadan Port Harcourt and Abuja, there is a rise in coworking spaces.

This coworking spaces is taking the place of former internet cafes. Coworking spaces provides individuals with a conducive working environment for remote workers.

They come into a structured working environment with good internet connectivity and can focus on their work.

According to the Global Coworking Growth Study 2020, "the number of coworking spaces worldwide will reach almost 20,000 in 2021, and around 40,000 by the end of 2024, an estimated five million people will be based in coworking spaces in 2024 – an increase of 158% on the current number."

This is because working entirely from home isn’t entirely feasible.