Back to the Office: What You Need to Know

The past few months have been hard on everyone. Now that the COVID-19 pandemic has slowed, more employers are trying to get their employees back to the office. People want a return to normal, which for some people, is working in their own office at their 9 - 5 job. But not everyone is happy about going back to work. Some IT employees like software developers enjoy the flexibility working remotely offers.

A Return to Normal

While everyone wants the pandemic to be over, not everyone is quick to jump on the “return to work” train. Employers are focused on making the workplace safe for workers (masking, social distancing, and hand-washing) but many IT professionals like the flexibility that working remotely offers. Being able to work on your own terms is very liberating, and some aren’t ready to give that up to go back to the office.

As the workplace prepares to welcome employees back to full-time operation, many in IT positions are considering whether or not they will return to the office. There are many considerations to be factored into their decision. Such as health and safety practices, possible vaccination requirements, and returning to the rat race that had previously put them on the brink of burnout.

A Delay in Plans

All the big players such as Google, Microsoft, Apple, Inc., Uber, and Amazon pushed back plans to bring employees back into the office due to surges in COVID cases. Amazon has pushed back their plans until January. Many tech companies are preferring to stay in the virtual office mode, like Dropbox. A survey of workers found that ⅔ of employees would accept a pay cut to be able to remain in remote work positions.

The remote work model has opened a lot of doors and offers more flexibility for working parents. They have adapted to this new work style, and don’t look forward to returning to life before the pandemic.

When many businesses shutdown in 2020, employees managed to transition to working remotely. After a period of adjustment, and learning a new way to work, many software developers, engineers, and others decided that they enjoyed working from home and would rather quit their jobs than return to full-time work (in the office).

Staying in Remote Work

What options do you have if you decide that you would rather stay working at home than return to the office? Well, if your employer will allow some remote workers to remain in their current positions, the first thing to do is let them know about your plans and request to stay where you are.

If that will no longer be an option, some other options would be to start your own business, or become a freelancer. Freelance software developers are in-demand everywhere and you could work for several companies to ensure that you make a consistent salary.

Becoming a freelancer will give you the same freedom and flexibility of being a remote worker. You can set your own schedule, decide which jobs to accept, and choose who you want to work with at any given time. IT marketplaces like Jobterix, match freelancers to companies by skills so you will always be offered the best jobs. Sign up today and get started on a new journey!