{"id":11619,"date":"2023-08-27T11:27:54","date_gmt":"2023-08-27T11:27:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.teamly.com\/blog\/?p=11619"},"modified":"2023-08-27T11:29:46","modified_gmt":"2023-08-27T11:29:46","slug":"telework-vs-remote-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.teamly.com\/blog\/telework-vs-remote-work\/","title":{"rendered":"Telework or Remote Work? Explaining the differences and what\u2019s best for your team."},"content":{"rendered":"

What\u2019s the difference between telework and remote work?<\/p>\n

Until recently, \u201cremote work\u201d sounded like something digital nomads did. Picture someone working poolside or with a beach in the background, from a coworking space in Bali or an apartment in Amsterdam. Free from the dreaded cubicle, it made most of us ask \u2013 \u201cSo, do you ever actually<\/em> work?\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cTelework,\u201d on the other hand, sounded a bit more dated. While the term refers to being able to use the internet to work outside of a central office, it hardly inspires the same idea of an exotic vacation.<\/p>\n

But with the pandemic came a drastic cultural shift in how people thought about the conventional office. Rather than a commute-free life being something to aspire to, people of all professional levels and backgrounds experienced working outside of an office as a reality. They built their home office setups and exited cities in unprecedented numbers. Companies upgraded their capacity for offsite work, and many downsized or closed their headquarters entirely.<\/p>\n

What was left is a complete change in how people think about when, where, and how they worked. Remote work or telework became the predominant way of operating rather than just being a slight trend.<\/p>\n

Wondering about the differences between telework and remote work? How about which model will work better for your business? Here\u2019s our quick-and-easy explainer of remote work vs. telework.<\/p>\n

\"What\u2019s<\/p>\n

<\/span>What\u2019s the difference between telework vs. remote work?<\/span><\/h2>\n

You might have heard the two work concepts \u2013 telework and remote work \u2013 used interchangeably. And while the basic ideas may be similar, they\u2019re not the same. Here\u2019s a look at where remote work and telework differ.<\/p>\n

Remote work<\/h3>\n

By definition, remote work is \u201ca work arrangement in which employees do not commute or travel to a central place of work such as an office building, warehouse, or store.\u201d This means that remote workers can work from anywhere they choose. Their official place of work is not the central office but rather their own provided workspace.<\/p>\n

While the exact terms depend on the agreement the employee has with the employer, remote work tends to be more flexible in time zone or geography<\/strong>. There might be no central office; even if there is, a remote employee isn\u2019t usually expected to be onsite (except for perhaps a couple of times a year). Remote workers also might be free to work asynchronously<\/a><\/strong>, meaning they can set their hours or collaborate without necessarily being online at the same time as their team.<\/p>\n

Telework<\/h3>\n

Conversely, telework means \u201cthe action or practice of working from home, making use of the internet, email, and the telephone.\u201d Generally speaking, telework provides additional flexibility \u2013 an employee has approval to work from a second location<\/strong> \u2013 yet their official place of work is still the central office.<\/p>\n

A telework arrangement typically requires some onsite presence<\/strong>, meaning the teleworker must live in the same time zone or geographic region as the rest of the company. A telework agreement most often implies a regular and recurring in-person engagement, whether for important meetings or if it\u2019s a normal part of the job. Most often, telework is synchronous<\/strong>, meaning the employee must be online at the same hours as their team.<\/p>\n

\"Telework<\/p>\n

<\/span>Telework or remote work \u2013 which is better for my business?<\/span><\/h2>\n

We\u2019ve written a lot about remote work and hybrid work<\/a> at Teamly. If you decide this is something you\u2019d like to implement in your own company, there are some steps you can take to make the transition as impactful as possible.<\/p>\n

1. Understand your Goals.<\/strong> What\u2019s your reason for introducing telework or remote work for your team? Based on that, you can choose a model that works best for you. Some common reasons you might want to try one of these flexible models are to cut back on overhead costs (office space, employee lunches, commuter benefits), improve employee satisfaction, increase productivity, or recruit better candidates. Once you\u2019re clear on your high-level goal, get specific \u2013 what KPIs can you use to determine if this new model is effective? How and when will you measure it and make adjustments?<\/p>\n

2. Choose a Model.<\/strong> Once you\u2019re clear on your goals, you can choose the work schedule that best aligns with your team. Do you prefer telework, remote work, or something hybrid? Include employees and managers in this decision. What kind of work schedule would they choose? What people or departments need to be together at the same time? Is this policy available to all employees or just specific roles and departments?<\/p>\n

When you\u2019ve chosen a model, learn as much about it as possible \u2013 what other companies have used it? What new tools will you need to support it? If it\u2019s a significant change for employees, what benefits might you add to improve their work environment? Look for a schedule template that you can use. Create documentation outlining the policy for managers and employees so expectations are clear.<\/p>\n

3. Choose Tools & Documentation.<\/strong> Once you\u2019ve landed on a model, the next step is to choose the tools and documentation that will support your transition. Some of the tools you might consider for your team are\u2026<\/p>\n