Remote work trends don’t seem to be slowing down any time soon. According to Enterprise Technology Research, the number of professionals working from home (WFH) will double in 2021. Is remote work going to be the future?

Remote work indeed has many advantages. It helps you have a flexible schedule, and it can also help you save money. You don’t have to spend so much on petrol or transportation. Also, you can work from home, which means that you can enjoy a comfortable environment. You can also work in your pyjamas if you want to. However, there are some disadvantages to remote work as well. You may feel isolated, and you won’t get the same kind of social interaction you get when working in an office. This can be a problem if you want to make new friends or build your network. You may also feel bored at times.

There is an exciting solution that I came across in a Sunday Times article a couple of weeks ago.  They suggested a new acronym, WFFH, alongside the familiar WFH (work from home).  WFFH means work from a friend’s home, which has positive elements.

Is WFFH Better Than Simple WFH?

Positively, it allows you to have some social interaction, and it also means that you will be working at a friend’s house. Also, you will be working in a familiar environment. This can help you to feel more comfortable and motivated. Negatively, WFFH may not be a solution for everyone. For example, if you have a very demanding job, you may not be able to handle it. Also, you may not be able to enjoy the same kind of work-life balance that you can when you are working in an office.

Emily Cronin in the Sunday Times put a very positive spin saying, “The texture of that first WFFH day resembled a perfect day at the office. After chatting over tea, we settled into work, punctuated by offers of snacks and exclamations over Instagram memes. I left the kitchen to join a call that ran long and came back to find the laptops cleared away and replaced with a beautiful homemade lunch. Usually, I pause for peanut butter on toast at about 2 pm. Hannah’s workday lunch — a freshly prepared courgette and feta tart with zingy salad on the side — represented a significant upgrade. There were cloth napkins. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you what a miracle they seemed.

This is a very positive article, and you can indeed enjoy some benefits from WFFH. However, I would like to highlight some of the negative aspects.  It may not be suitable for everyone, and it may not be the best solution for everyone.

Some of the disadvantages of WFFH include the following:

For example, if you are very busy, it may not be suitable for you to do WFFH. Also, if you are a person who likes to be in control, you may not like that you are not in control of the kitchen.

Again, if you are used to working in an office environment, you may not be happy working in a kitchen.

Finally, if you like to have a very structured work-life balance, you may not like the fact that you have no structure.

In conclusion, we are all busy people. We have to get things done. But, we can only get so much done in a day. There’s no doubt that remote work will be a massive part of our lives. However, we mustn’t be working from home at the expense of our personal lives.  Sharing the working day with friends seems to offer an exciting dynamic, especially if childcare needs to be factored into the equation.

But whether you choose WFH or WFFH, you will always need the ongoing support of the Hold Everything virtual office.