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A virtual workplace is a work environment that doesn’t have a central location, but instead relies on technology and resources from multiple locations, including employee homes. It can save companies money, but may not work well in all industries. Worker productivity can be a concern, but early studies suggest it is not negatively impacted. Virtual work has benefits and concerns for employees, but the trend towards it is growing due to potential savings and evolving technology.
Virtual workplace has different definitions, but mostly refers to a work environment that may not have a specific, central location where all employees come to work every day. Rather than having a brick-and-mortar physical location, this type of workplace usually depends on technology such as Internet connectivity and other resources such as telephones, conferencing software, and fax machines from multiple locations, which are often employee homes. In other words, a network of employees from different locations makes up the company and the workplace is not one real, one place.
Some companies have a traditional work environment but also allow some employees to telecommute. All or part of the time, work could be completed from a location of the employee’s choosing. Other organizations lean almost completely towards the virtual workplace.
Some websites employ writers and editors all over the world. Every writer works from home or if they have a laptop and WiFi access, they can write at the beach, in a library, on a park bench or on the bus, to name just a few options. The virtual workplace consists of all these individual places combined, connecting to the corporate server.
There are reasons why the virtual workplace can be exceptionally attractive to companies and not be a good idea for others. Businesses definitely save money by not having to rent or buy office space and pay for utilities. These costs become the employee’s responsibility, although some employers compensate a small amount for additional electricity bills, Internet connectivity, telephone or worker charges. Creating a virtual workplace is only feasible in some industries and may not work well in businesses where customers need direct, one-on-one support or in many forms of manufacturing where employees are needed for hands-on work.
Some companies are also concerned about worker productivity in the virtual workplace. There are ways to log employee hours, depending on the type of job, but in many cases, managers believe that workers’ output could suffer. Even though people work collaboratively across each job, some business owners are concerned about a lack of team effort, which could motivate people. Early studies of companies using virtual workplaces suggest that worker productivity is not negatively impacted.
Workers in a virtual workplace have concerns and benefits. The job can be isolating and some people lack the social environment of a traditional workplace. People are often told not to take work home with them, but the line between home and work can be unclear. Some employees have a hard time staying motivated and are easily distracted if they work from home. For other workers, this solution is ideal, particularly if they have flexible hours and appreciate avoiding commuting or saving money on a work wardrobe.
The trend towards creating the virtual workplace is growing. Potential savings for companies and convenience for employees both drive growth. These benefits are coupled with evolving technology, which is making many brick-and-mortar workplaces increasingly useless.
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