There are 8 lessons:

1. Nature of Remote Work

• Definition of Remote Work
• Location, Location, Location
• The On-Going Shift Toward Remote Work
• “Traditional” Forms of Remote Work
• Industry and Employment
• Nature of a Remote Workplace
• Community Hubs
• Scope of Remote Workplaces for Different Goods and Service Business Structures
• Prevalence of Remote Work
• Timeframe? Is it a short-term decision or long-term?

2. Challenges and Benefits of Doing Work Remotely

• Productivity and Time Management
• Achieving Flow State
• Trust
• Talent Acquisition
• Confidentiality and Data Protection
• Impact of Remote Work on Businesses
• Benefits
• Challenges
• Impact of Remote Work on Employees/Remote Workers
• Benefits
• Challenges
• Impact of Remote Work on the Environment
• Benefits
• Challenges

3. Comparative Practices/Working in Different Industries

• Sectors Adapting to Remote Work
• Health Sector
• Education Sector
• Challenges for Remote Learning
• Adults in Education
• Retail Sector
• Food Services
• Office services – financial/ administration

4. Communicating Remotely – Technologies Used

• Face-to-face Communication vs. Remote Communication
• Creating a Positive Share Culture in the Workplace
• Feedback
• One-on-One Meetings
• Engagement
• Knowledge Sharing
• How to Effectively use Different Types of Remote Communication
• Face-to-face Communication Online (Real-time)
• Letters and Emails
• Telephone Calls
• Instant Messaging
• SMS
• Online Chat
• Remote Working with Clients

5. Managing and Supporting Staff Remotely

• Managing Staff remotely
• Leadership and Remote Worker
• Building & Sustaining a Work Culture Remotely
• Reviewing Staff & Performance Appraisals
• Recruitment & Training
• Hiring Staff
• Training New Staff
• Professional Development for Existing Staff
• Supporting staff
• Stress
• Burnout
• Staff Wellbeing
• Unmotivated Staff
• Occupational Health and Safety Considerations
• The Positives

6. Logistics – Supplying Goods and Services Remotely

• Remote Sales and Large or Small Businesses
• Managing Delivery of Goods Remotely
• Services

Lesson 7: Online Events

• Webinars
• Product Launches
• Book Launch
• Virtual Conferences
• Live Chats
• Live Streams
• Team Building
• Planning an Online Event

8. Research Project – Developing a Plan for Remote Working

• Scheduling Work
• Time Management
• Tracking Time
• Planning to Ensure Resources
• Meetings
• Planning for Risks/Contingency Planning

• Explain the challenges and advantages of remote working.
• Define remote work and its prevalence in the modern world.
• Compare and discuss remote work practices in different industries and contexts.
• Explain how to communicate well remotely and review technologies used in working remotely.
• Explain how to manage and support remote staff effectively.
• Explain how goods and services can be supplied remotely.
• Define types of online events and how to run them.
• Develop a plan for remote working.

WHAT DOES REMOTE WORKING MEAN?

Although not a new concept, remote work has become more commonplace and there are different ways it can be applied across workplaces in different goods and service industries.

Sometimes referred to as telecommuting, working remotely has been part of some people’s jobs for years, particularly for freelancers and people involved in certain types of writing (e.g. correspondence journalism) and clerical work.

As technology has evolved, however, so too has remote work, with the internet and email allowing staff to access resources from offsite locations. The Covid-19 pandemic of the early 21st century forced many businesses to insist on large swathes of their workforce spending a considerable amount of their working hours conducting work from home.

For some, this transition was relatively straightforward; for others it posed a significant challenge. Many workforces were not set up to cope with the difficulties of working remotely, and many employees did not have suitable working environments at home and lacked necessary equipment for longer periods of remote work.

Remote work was a growing area throughout the 20th century, though the Covid-19 pandemic forced many businesses which had not previously allowed employees to work offsite to pivot to remote work environments.

As a result, many businesses and their staff found benefits in the model, such that working remotely is likely to be something which continues and expands into the future. For this shift to be long-term, however, remote work models must be adapted to suit individual businesses to ensure working remotely does not interfere with the daily operation or profitability of the company.

While there are some businesses that require on-site labour (primary industries, production), many aspects of secondary and service industries can be completed in a remote environment. Indeed, larger companies with multiple offices have been using remote work solutions for decades.

Nature of Remote Work
Before considering the scope of remote workplaces, it is prudent to ask what exactly is remote work? Remote work can refer to any work undertaken outside of a business or organisation’s premises.

This can include work undertaken by employees who need to work from home due to other factors (e.g. family/care commitments, disability, injury, remote location). It can also include work undertaken away from the premises by employees who attend the premises for some or most of their working hours.

The potential impact of implementing work from home and remote work contracts is large – particularly in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The increased flexibility of remote work has the potential to reduce lost time spent commuting or spent on unfocussed meetings, for example, while also increasing focus, productivity, and access to employee talent.

In some cases, remote work can also reduce overhead – if a significant number of staff work offsite, then office requirements will be smaller, and in-house equipment will cost less.

Definition of Remote Work
Remote work is sometimes divided into two types:

Homeworking – employees work from home, though some may also opt to work out of a coffee shop, library, or other space with a focus on maintaining an individual and independent schedule.

Hub working – employees work from hubs or coworking spaces in their community where they may work with others and collaborate with workers outside their own organisation.

Hubs provide services including, hot desks, meeting rooms and conference capabilities, and virtual office services such as a business address and mail/package receipt. Hubs can go by different names, such as, enterprise centres, innovation centres or digital hubs.

Remote work is interchangeable with the concept of ‘telework’. Telework has been defined as:

“A form of organising and/or performing work, using information technology, in the context of an employment contract/relationship, where work, which could also be performed at the employer’s premises, is carried out away from those premises on a regular basis” (European Framework Agreement).

“To work at home, while communicating with your office by phone or email, or using the internet: He teleworks just two days a week. If you can check your work email from home, it’s likely you can telework.” (Cambridge English Dictionary)

“To work from home while maintaining contact with colleagues, customers, or a central office by the use of home computers, telephones, etc.” (Collins English Dictionary)

In the context of this course, this means that remote work refers to work completed outside of the main company or business site.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Here is a list of the most often asked FAQ’s.

General

Q. Why should I enrol with the Academy for Distance Learning?
A. Here at ADL, our students are our priority – we treat everyone as a unique individual.

Q. Do I need to buy text books?
A. No, as each module has been written by highly qualified industry professionals. The content of the material is presented in such a way that text books are not required. However, if you require additional reading your tutor will be able to supply a list.

Q. What happens if I have to stop studying for a while? (eg. become sick, go on holidays, have a baby, move house, etc)
A. It’s OK to take a break and start up your study at a later point in time. Just let us know.

Q. Is there an age limit?
A. There is no maximum age limit. We do however, have a minimum age limit of 18 years. Below that age parental consent would be required.

Q. Are your courses up-to date?
A. Our courses are revised and updated on a rotation system.

Q. Do you have a Cancellation policy?
A. Yes. We have a cancellation policy that is fair and equitable. For further details please click here.

Q. Will I have any opportunity to engage with other students?
A. We have a Student Community group based on facebook! If you don’t have a facebook account already, you could make one just for talking with fellow students on the group.

Enrolment

Q. When can I enrol/start?
A. You may enrol and start at any time of the year – it’s all self- paced.

Q. Can I study from anywhere in the world?
A. Our courses are available to anyone, anywhere in the world from the comfort of your own home. The course content is relevant to any country, culture or economy.

Q. How long do I have to complete the course?
A. You complete the course at any time that is convenient for you.

Q. Completing a 100 hour module – how long will it take?
A. For some students a 100 hour module will take approximately to 3- 6 months to complete. Others take less time and some even longer.

Assessment

Q. Assessment – how does it work?
A. For each 100 hour module you are assessed by assignments (at the end of each lesson) and a final one and a half hour exam (or you may elect to complete a Project, instead of sitting the exam) – the choice is yours – you sit for the exam in your own location.

Q. I don’t cope well with exams – what can I do?
A. You may elect to undertake a Project (set by your tutor) instead of sitting the exam. Projects are completed from your home and can usually take a couple of weeks to complete.

Q. If my assignment is not up to standard is there an opportunity to resubmit my work?
A. Yes –

Q. How many assignments do I need to complete for each module?
A. At the end of each lesson, there is an assignment – so if a course has say, 10 lessons, there would be 10 assignments.

Q. I am having difficulty attending workshops/industry meetings, what can be done?
A. If your course requires attendance at workshops, conferences, or industry meetings; alternative arrangements can be made in your country.

Qualifications

Q. What qualification will I receive?
A. For individual modules, you would be awarded a Certificate endorsed by TQUK (Training Qualifications, UK), providing you complete all assignments and the exam. If you just want to complete only the assignments and not sit for the exam or finish a Project, then a Letter of Achievement would be awarded. For more details on qualifications available please click here.

Q. Can I customize my diploma/higher qualification?
A. Not all educational institution’s certificates /diplomas meet everyone’s needs. The opportunity to Design Your Own Diploma at the Academy (subject to our approval) is an added bonus, not found at other colleges. You choose modules that you think will help you in achieving your goal.

Q. What do I get when I complete the course? Will I receive a transcript?
A. At the completion of all courses and providing all assignments and exam requirements have been met, you will receive your Award and a Transcript.

Tutors

Q. Our tutors – who are they?
A. We appoint Tutors and require that they must be currently active in their industry, with at least 5 years’ experience in their chosen profession.

Q. Can I contact my tutor at any time?
A. Yes – you have unlimited access to your tutor via email through our Online Classroom. You can always leave a message with ADL requesting your tutor to contact you. You decide on how much or how little contact you wish to have.

Q. Practical work – How is this done?
A. To find out more about this part of the course please visit the section on How Our Courses Work here.