The question of choosing working conditions arises in a variety of situations: from starting a career to changing jobs or returning from maternity leave. When a child appears in the family, the schedule dictates a new reality: kindergarten, elementary school lessons, sections. If there is no grandmother or babysitter nearby, a remote location looks preferable. Another example is the search for a new job. Office, hybrid, and remote jobs are juxtaposed in the market today. There is a high probability that the applicant will have to compare different options.
According to a study by Sber and the Higher School of Economics, in the summer of 2024, about 80% of Russians wanted to switch to remote work. The motive is clear — at first glance, it seems that it will be possible to combine vacation with work. But the illusion of remote “working with a laptop on the beach” is shattered by practice: reality more often looks like endless hours at home in front of a computer screen.
There are several factors that should be weighed before choosing any format. First of all, finances. Salaries at a remote location are usually lower: the employer’s savings at the office are reflected in the income of employees. The difference can be up to 20%. Therefore, it is worthwhile to calculate the family budget in advance and understand what level of income is necessary to maintain the usual quality of life.
The second point is the mode. In the office, it’s easier to distinguish between work and personal time: it’s 18:00, which means the working day is over. On a remote site, boundaries are erased, and a person begins to work longer hours without noticing it. A lot depends on corporate culture and personal discipline.
The environment is equally important. It is easier for a single employee to organize a workplace at home than for someone who lives in an apartment with children and relatives. Finally, personal qualities also play a role: an introvert is more comfortable remotely, and an extrovert may lack live communication, which even regular phone calls cannot replace.
The pros and cons of remote work
Let’s take an example: both in the office and at the remote location they offer the same 100 thousand rubles. But if you enable analysis, the amount in the contract ceases to be the main guideline.
The first thing to consider is the road. Two hours in the morning and two in the evening turn into 20 hours a week, and in a month — almost 1.5 working weeks. If the transport is by metro, this is another 3,000 rubles of expenses. By car it is already up to 15 thousand, including gasoline and parking.
The next expense item is food. Business lunches of 400 rubles 5 times a week mean 8-9 thousand per month. At home, food is 2 times cheaper. Plus, the office always requires maintaining a wardrobe — suits and shoes are updated more often than T-shirts for meetings with colleagues.
There are also less obvious costs. Working from home means there is less risk of catching a seasonal infection in transport, which means you can save on medicines and stay productive. The remote location makes it possible to combine several projects, study or even live in a region with low prices, receiving a “Moscow” salary.
But it is important to assess soberly not only the pros, but also the cons, which include personal expenses. Remote work requires resources: electricity, computer, internet, or specialized materials. For example, a manicurist will have to buy everything himself. You will need furniture, a comfortable workplace, and even a separate room or study.
There are two scenarios. The first is an employee in a remote format. The key question here is whether the company compensates for the equipment. Sometimes a laptop, software, or a corporate chair are provided. If not, you will have to include these expenses in your budget.
The second scenario is freelance or your own business. For example, for home manicurists and those who want to start their own business, there is good news: the state offers starting payments of up to 350 thousand rubles for starting a business. With this money, you can equip a workplace, buy tools and furniture. Of course, as the business develops, you will have to improve the equipment, but the initial amount provides the capital to launch.
And don’t forget about income instability. The office has a salary that you can count on every month. For a freelancer, everything depends on the clients: without a constant stream of orders, income will be unpredictable.
The pros and cons of working in an office
If you look at office work in terms of money and resources, the advantages are obvious. Fast communication is a huge bonus. Do you need to gather your colleagues urgently for an express meeting, coordinate the documents with the accounting department, or sign the project with the supervisor? Everything is solved in a matter of minutes, without dozens of emails and calls.
In the office, work and personal life are clearly separated. For freelancers and remote workers, these boundaries are often blurred: work can “occur” in the evening or on weekends.
Another advantage is the ready-made equipment. Laptop, corporate programs, sometimes even paid transportation or lunch — everything is already included. Today, large companies make offices as comfortable as possible. They provide free parking, canteens, recreation areas, and sometimes even sleeping areas. Alternatively, you can cheer up during your lunch break by jogging on the treadmill, as the gym will be free for employees.
There are also “intangible” advantages: the office makes it easier to network, meet colleagues and form a corporate culture. When working remotely, the sense of belonging to the team is often weaker. Employees are less attached to the company, and it is more difficult to form a team spirit.
Yes, office work is convenient in many ways, but it has its own economic nuances. The most obvious ones: transportation, meals, and dress code. To understand how much the office “eats up”, it’s better to sit down with a calculator and calculate everything.
After all, office work lacks flexibility. There are fewer opportunities to solve personal issues during the day, when, for example, you need to go to the doctor, pick up a child, and deal with household issues. Remotely, these options are easier to integrate into the schedule without having to ask for permission or look for a “window” in the workday.
So the disadvantages of an office aren’t just about money. It’s time, energy, and limited ability to plan your day. A competent analysis will help you understand how the office really fits into your lifestyle and financial goals.
How to calculate correctly the benefits of an office and a remote location?
For some people, an office is contraindicated physically or psychologically, while for others, on the contrary, a structure and a change of location are needed for productivity.
For example, a mother with a child may face additional costs: she often needs an assistant. This is a person who would look after a child, pick him up from kindergarten, and help him around the house. All this is a real budget item that should be considered when choosing a work format.
At the stage of hiring, it is better to announce your conditions immediately. For example: “It’s important for me to pick up my child at 17:00, are there any options for flexible schedules or remote work?” We can discuss a hybrid: 3 days in the office, 2 days at home. Alternatively, switching to remote work after the probation period, when colleagues and the manager already trust the quality of the work.
At the same time, it is worth calculating the economic side. For example, remotely you need a good laptop, fast and stable Internet, a comfortable chair, light, electricity. In the office, there are expenses for travel, transportation, parking, meals, clothes. We make a table: road + food + wardrobe = how much per month goes to the office. For a remote location, we consider equipment + Internet + energy = home expenses. We compare them.
And finally, income. If the salary is the same, it is more economically profitable to work remotely. However, if the office pays 5-10 thousand more, it is worth evaluating whether you are willing to spend time and effort on the road and incur additional costs for this money.
If you can’t choose, you can combine
The hybrid model often turns out to be optimal: it combines the advantages of a remote location (savings on travel, meals, and flexible work schedule) with the advantages of an office (communication with colleagues, the structure of the working day, and the ability to solve important issues directly). Two to three days in the office per week provide networking and coordination of tasks, and the remaining days at home allow you to save money and maintain a balance between work and personal life.
If the employer initially insists on an office, you can discuss a test week on a hybrid with fixed performance indicators. It is important to demonstrate that the result of the work and the value for the business remain at a high level. By successfully arguing your choice through comfort for yourself and benefit for the company, you can agree on a hybrid format or remote work, even where a strict office schedule was initially expected.
How to discuss terms properly with an employer
If you have already calculated your expenses, you can use them at the stage of employment for a reasoned discussion of working conditions. The approach is simple: talk to the employer in the language of numbers and show what results your work brings. This helps not only to discuss salary, but also to build your own offer: bonuses, vacations, schedule and work format.
It is important for specialists to consider the future at the start of their career. Internships are the best option: low pay, but the opportunity to immerse yourself in the company’s processes and evaluate the format of the work. This is usually a hybrid or part-time office, which allows you to understand if you are comfortable in an office environment and how you interact with colleagues. After the internship, if the format suits you, you can stay in a hybrid or in an office, and if not, look for remote work, having already had experience.
How to understand when you need a career consultant
Choosing a job format is not only a matter of personal preference, but also a strategic decision, where it is important to take into account your goals, comfort and economic component. An outside view, whether from a colleague, friend, or career consultant, can be helpful.
The consultant will help you to “package” your experience properly, prepare a resume and get a more profitable offer. Even one consultation can become an investment that will pay off through a salary increase or improved conditions. Some consultants work on a bonus basis and are interested in making your offer as profitable as possible — this increases your value.
At the same time, decisions should be made based on your priorities. Advice from colleagues, parents, or acquaintances may be useful, but it is you who needs job, so the choice is yours. For example, if you have a small child, you can calculate whether it is more profitable to hire a nanny and work in an office for a higher salary, or whether it is more comfortable to receive less, but work remotely and be close to the child. The economic component and personal life goals are intertwined here.
Summary
There is no universal answer to the question of whether to choose an office or a remote location. It is necessary to calculate the budget honestly, taking into account personal needs, psychological comfort and professional goals. This is the only way to choose the option that really works in your case.
By Olga Gogaladze, economist, creator of the online financial literacy school PRO.FINANSY