Facial recognition has the power to make remote work more seamless and less distributed. In fact, experts say that by 2025, 22 per cent of the workforce will work remotely. Remote workers report being 22 per cent happier at work and 30 per cent more productive and engaged with their tasks.
However, despite these positives, there are still several challenges that remote work presents. Since the beginning of COVID-19, 47 per cent of remote workers report experiencing burnout. There has been a newfound loss of work and home balance and longer hours that create a slew of new challenges.
Challenges of remote work
A shocking 75 per cent of remote workers report experiencing stress and burnout at work. 43 per cent are likely to work over 40 hours per week, with nearly 40 per cent reporting longer hours than before the pandemic. Over 20 per cent of remote workers find it difficult to unplug from their jobs, as their living space and their working space have now become the same.
Remote work also has been found to lead to disorganisation and frustration among workers. Many report feeling stressed, which impacts workplace well-being and productivity. Some also struggle with delays, as time management within teams becomes taxing and difficult.
Workers have also reported noticing lower quality work, as the lack of team direction and attention leads to poor output. Lost time and interruptions are also significant roadblocks. Many remote workers feel that even after a long or busy day, nothing meaningful was accomplished. Distractions have become the norm, as other events outside of work are constantly competing for the attention of these struggling remote workers.
Organising the woes of remote work
Studies show that 90 per cent of Americans feel more refreshed after stepping away from their computer. These same participants felt that they have a more enjoyable workplace experience and higher productivity after taking these breaks. It is from this concept that the tool of automatic time tracking was born.
Also Read: Is the remote working trend “swallowing” office employees’ vacation time?
Automatic time tracking can help remote employees in a multitude of ways. It can identify where their time is being most spent and track their long-term progress. It can help facilitate breaks and time off appropriately, as well as prioritise what is most important. Many workers report feeling more focused and organised during their workday while using this technology.
On the other hand, businesses can also benefit greatly from time tracking. There is more transparency, increased employee accountability, and a better opportunity to gain insight into their demands and budget use. To illustrate these benefits, experts say that in the United States, filing timesheets waste US$7.4 billion a day in productivity. These numbers are reaching these heights solely because workers forget to log their hours, a burden that can be alleviated through time-tracking technology.
Time tracking, while revolutionary and beneficial in many ways, presents its own set of challenges to businesses and employees. Employees still spend up to four hours a week on unproductive tasks. Nearly 30 per cent spend their time just checking and answering emails, while over half spend three or more hours on non-work activities.
Many waste up to five hours weekly on calls and meetings that achieve nothing. The freedom that comes with working from home is something that many managers are concerned about. Over 80 per cent admit to feeling concerned that remote working may reduce employee focus and productivity.
There are several types of time-tracking technology that are slowly making their way into the world of commerce. They vary from manual to full remote monitoring, including but not limited to timesheets, keycards, biometric data and GPS tracking.
While many small startups are still using manual methods, 60 per cent of companies with remote workers are using full remote monitoring to track their employees. This means that they can keep tabs on keystrokes, browsing, hours spent working, and even tap into live webcams.
Facial recognition is another fairly new tool that can contribute to time tracking for many businesses. Facial recognition software cannot be fooled by pictures or lookalikes, works on both Apple and Android devices, works via web browser, and is backed by smart technology.
When used together, these technologies allow for a distributed and efficient remote workforce with more time for productivity and less busy work. Time tracking is the right-hand man for any business that relies on remote workers, saving time, money, and energy when it is needed the most.
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