One of the offshoots of this trend was the idea of 'working from home' transitioning towards 'working from anywhere.' People relocated to their cottages, logged into work from vacation spots, and even bought homes further away from their workplaces. Smaller towns across Canada found themselves in the midst of a real-estate boom as the demand for larger homes and yards skyrocketed. With whole families home in lockdown with the kids attending remote classes and the grownups working from home, it made sense to seek roomier living arrangements.
This has led to a looming question: what will happen to remote work – and the workers who relocated based on their ability to work from home – when the pandemic ends?
A recent survey of 1,200 American office workers who had shifted to remote work in 2020 found that when the pandemic eases, one third (29 per cent) want to continue to work remotely full time. A further 55 per cent said that they would opt for a hybrid model where they would work remotely at least three days a week. A similar survey of Canadian workers found that over half of surveyed respondents (55 per cent) think their employers should allow them to choose their preferred work location.
Employers responding to a parallel survey saw things a little differently. The majority of company leaders (68 per cent) feel that staff should be back in the office at least three days a week in order to preserve the company culture. A similar number (65 per cent) said that having employees in the office is "very important" to maintaining productivity levels.
Fears over the new omicron variant notwithstanding, many of the lockdowns and restrictions imposed during the height of the coronavirus crisis have been eased, and more and more organizations are calling their people back to the office. Employers are instituting new remote work policies, with many adopting a hybrid model. These arrangements have staff splitting their time between working from home and being physically present at the workplace.
Given the current trends in employee preferences, offering flexible working options or fully remote jobs can give companies an advantage when it comes to attracting and retaining talent in Canada's tight labour market. But will those remote workers have the same benefits as their on-site coworkers?
Not everyone thinks so.
A new survey of Canadian professionals reveals that most people believe in-person workers will have inherent advantages over their remote or hybrid colleagues. According to the survey, Canadian workers feel that proximity bias, which is the unconscious tendency of employers to give preferential treatment to those staff members who share the same physical work location, could negatively impact people's career progression. Remote workers could see their prospects limited by a lack of networking opportunities, less career advancement, and few social encounters with coworkers and supervisors.
Employers may also form the impression, rightly or wrongly, that their on-site staff are working harder or putting in longer hours simply because they see them doing it. A great deal of bonding and collaboration takes place when people work alongside one another.
Company leaders may perceive their remote employees as less valuable workers, causing them to achieve lower levels of success in the workplace than their in-office counterparts.
Proximity bias also includes on-site employees having access to more perks and having more facetime with the boss, while remote employees can be left out of meetings, impromptu brainstorming sessions, and social interactions. There is even the suggestion that they could be paid less than their coworkers.
The thinking is that if these employees are saving on commuting and the expense of maintaining a household closer to the workplace, why should they earn the same as those who are still incurring these costs.
Combating proximity-bias in a post-COVID Canada
Earnings are closely tied to an employee's negotiating position with their company. [See How to negotiate a pay raise or a starting salary.] Your bargaining power comes from your contribution to the company's success and your relationship with your manager.
Therefore, the pillars of mitigating any inherent career drawbacks associated with a remote working arrangement are to remain a solid contributor – and ensure that your efforts and accomplishments are recognized and acknowledged – and to maintain a positive relationship with your supervisor, with regular check-ins and updates.
Being a top performer is actually made easier with remote work, as studies have shown that people working from home can achieve much higher levels of productivity without the regular distractions and interruptions of the office. Put this productivity to good use, exceed targets, beat quotas, and deliver truly noteworthy results. Then, ensure those results are indeed noted.
Don't toil away in obscurity. Attend all virtual meetings and contribute. Speak up on conference calls and Teams or Zoom meetings. Keep in regular contact with your manager, so that they are up to date on your progress, challenges, and accomplishments.
Successful communications strategies bridge the gap between being a valuable contributor to the team and maintaining a positive relationship with your boss, the two pillars of overcoming proximity bias.
Fortunately, rather than seeing that relationship take a hit, over a half of remote and hybrid workers surveyed (56 per cent) say their connection with their managers has been positively impacted by remote work. There is a level of trust and autonomy that comes with working from home. When your boss can't see you at your desk, they have to have faith in your work ethic and ability to get the job done.
Once a novelty or a perk offered to a rare few in select industries, remote working was on the rise before the pandemic, and it has gone fully mainstream since. The challenge for Canadian professionals will be to get hired for a job that offers the flexibility and working model that suits their lifestyle – and then to be sure that their career progression isn't stymied by their choice.
Browse remote working opportunities available right now on Talent.com