Writing for an Academic Discussion Do the advantages of remote working outweigh its disadvantages? - revised

Do the advantages of remote working outweigh its disadvantages?

 

 

☆Let’s Think

1.        What are the advantages and disadvantages of remote working? Remember those early days of the pandemic of COVID-19 in 2020.

 

 

☆Hints for Points

Advantages

1.        Time-saving: Workers do not have to commute to work every day.

2.        Cost-saving: Companies will not have to pay for workers’ transportation.

3.        Teleworking job opportunities: There are already websites for teleworking job-hunting.

4.        Freer lifestyles: Workers will have more free time and flexible schedules.

 

Disadvantages

1.        Communication problems: Face-to-face communication will be lost and this will cause misunderstandings and mistakes.

2.        Less synergy and lower morale: Human touch is lost and workers will be less encouraged to work.

3.        Less intangible assets of the workplace: Less or no on-the-job training will cause loss of skills and culture of the teams and offices.

4.        Less control: Companies may lose control of the workforce.

 

Decisive reasons

1.        Happy workers raise productivity. Since human resources is the most important for business, workers’ morale must be prioritized.

2.        Most companies resumed office work after 2020, and this means that remote working is complementary to the conventional, in-person office environment.

 

 

☆Response for Ideas and Expressions

I think the advantages of remote working outweigh its disadvantages in terms of working conditions of female workers. More than half the workforce are women, and most of them prefer flexible working conditions. Not to speak of married women, who in effect do the household work for the whole family and child-rearing, even childless single women may have old parents to take care of or suffer from mental disorders caused by being a woman. These conditions make it difficult for most women to start or continue white-collar jobs. Remote working allows women to do these high-paying jobs during hours and places of their convenience. They will also be free from uncomfortable experiences of daily commute and abuse by other workers or managers or clients or customers. This can raise the number of female white-collar workers and raise both their productivity and morale. The drawbacks like reduced communication with other staff members seem small, since most women can make up for communication problems well, and problem-solving manual for male workers will be made over time. Also, combination of the two workstyles, office work and remote work, which is already happening, will offset most of the disadvantages. (195 words)

 

 

☆Response plan

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