Working remotely is becoming more and more popular these days. More and more people are ditching the traditional office setting in favor of working from home or a coffee shop. While there are many advantages to working remotely, there are also some dangers that come with it. One of the biggest dangers of working remotely is that you’re more likely to be let go if your company decides to downsize.
A recent survey by software maker Beautiful.ai found that 60% of managers would likely lay off their remote employees first rather than basing the decision on performance. “When it comes to managing employees, the lack of face-time can affect many different aspects of the job,” Beautiful.ai’s report finds.
Laying off remote workers first is usually not a biased decision. Laying off any employee is a difficult decision for managers, but sometimes it is easier to let go an employee you have met only over Zoom than the one you sit next to every day at the office.
“Prejudice against remote workers is obviously not a manager’s intention,” said Jason Lapp, Beautiful.ai’s chief executive, “but sometimes it’s difficult to imagine fair treatment and trust when a batch of employees are working next to you in an office and another group of employees are working at home.”
Laying off a remote employee requires no office goodbyes, no desk to clean out, and usually no tears to be shed —at least, that is what managers hope. Additionally, remote workers usually get fewer opportunities to shine than their in-office counterparts because of unexpected situations that arise in the office.
Rather than calling a remote employee to fix a problem, managers prefer to ask their in-office employees because they are more than likely already familiar with the problem. One example of this is if your office wifi turns off, who would you ask for help, the in-office employee or the remote one?
What do we suggest you do? we want you to understand the difference between wanting remote work and needing remote work. If you need remote work, then our suggestion to you is to be weary when your company announces that they plan to make layoffs. While there is no guarantee that you will be the one to be laid off, there is a higher percentage chance that you will be laid off before your in-office co-workers.
In the case that you only prefer remote work and don’t need it, we highly suggest you rethink your decision. Remote work is amazing, but having that uncertainty every day of being laid off first can take a toll on you, especially if most of your co-workers are in the office.