Don’t have your Nedbank ID yet?
Nedbank ID single sign-on gives you full digital access to Nedbank’s banking and lifestyle products and services on the Money app or Online Banking.
Log in
Log in to Online Banking or another one of our secured services.
Bank your way with low fees and extra benefits.
Enjoy 55 days’ interest free credit and other benefits.
Affordable loans and interest rates from R2k to R300k.
Buy or build your home with up to 109% financing to cover bond and transfer costs.
Debt management support when you need it the most.
Cover for you and your family in the event of death.
Car, building, house contents, valuables and more.
Bond, credit card, overdraft, loan and car repayments.
Guaranteed income and growth plans for future income.
Achieve your financial goals with expert planning.
We’ll help manage your assets, debts and estate planning.
Accounts
-
Everyday banking Simpler more affordable
-
Kids accounts For children under 16
-
Youth banking For 16 to 26 year olds
-
Seniors accounts For 55 years and older
-
Private Clients Personalised banking services
-
Private Wealth The globally integrated account
-
Digital wallet Your phone is your bank account
Credit cards
Greenbacks
Digital banking
Switch to Nedbank
Fraud awareness
Forex
Accounts
-
On demand Money available at any time
-
In 24 hours Cash in your hand the next day
-
In 32 days Funds ready within a month
-
End of term Investments left until maturity
Investment services
Share trading
Personal loans
Home loans
-
Buy With you from search to purchase
-
Build Bring your dream home to life
-
Switch Move your home loan to us
-
Manage All the value-adds, 24/7
-
Further lending Flexible and affordable solutions
Overdrafts
Vehicle finance
Solar finance
Debt assistance
- Consolidate all your debts into a simple loan | Nedbank
- Short-term payment relief | Nedbank
- Take charge and restructure your finances | Nedbank
- Assisted-sales solutions for homes and vehicles | Nedbank
- Flexible payment plans for loans and credit | Nedbank
- Understanding how repo rate works | Nedbank
- We have payment solutions to get you back on track
Funeral cover
Short term insurance
Credit Life
Travel insurance
Business cover
Secure investments
Financial planning
Estate, wills & trust services
Nedbank Private Wealth
Speak to a financial adviser
Blog
Talk to us
Find us
- Login & Register
- Online Banking
- Online Share Trading
- NetBank Business
- NedFleet
- Nedbank Greenbacks
- Nedgroup Investments
- Nedbank ID
- Bank
- Accounts
- Credit cards
- Greenbacks
- Digital banking
- Switch to Nedbank
- Fraud awareness
- Forex
- Explore Bank
- Accounts
- Everyday banking
- Kids accounts
- Youth banking
- Seniors accounts
- Private Clients
- Private Wealth
- Digital wallet
- See all accounts
- Premium banking
- Get help choosing
- Goal saving
- Family Banking
- Foreign nationals
- FAQ
- How-to guides
- Discontinued accounts
- Everyday banking
- MiGoals Premium
- MiGoals Plus
- MiGoals
- Kids accounts
- MiGoals4Kids
- Youth banking
- MiGoals Premium
- MiGoals
- MiGoals Plus
- Seniors accounts
- MiGoals Premium Senior
- MiGoals Plus
- Private Clients
- Pay-as-you-use
- Young Professionals
- Private Bundle and Private One
- Private Wealth
- Private Wealth Bundle
- Digital wallet
- MobiMoney
- American Express
- Amex Gold
- Amex Platinum
- Greenbacks
- Exclusive discounts
- FAQ
- How-to guides
- Digital banking
- Switch to Nedbank
- Fraud awareness
- Forex
- Save & Invest
- Accounts
- Investment services
- Share trading
- Explore Save & Invest
- In 24 hours
- JustInvest
- PlatinumInvest
- Tax-free Savings
- MoneyTrader
- EasyAccess Fixed Deposit
- PrimeSelect
- In 32 days
- Electronic 32Day Notice
- 32Day Notice
- End of term
- Tax-free Fixed Deposit
- Electronic Fixed Deposit
- Electronic Optimum Plus
- Platinum Fixed Deposit
- Fixed Deposit
- OptimumPlus
- Investment services
- Share trading
- Borrow
- Personal loans
- Home loans
- Student loans
- Overdrafts
- Vehicle finance
- Solar finance
- Debt assistance
- Explore Borrow
- Personal loans
- Loan consolidation
- Personal loans
- Home improvement loan
- Exclusive short-term loan offers
- Explore loans
- FAQ
- How to guides
- Loan consolidation
- Personal loans
- Home improvement loan
- Exclusive short-term loan offers
- Home loans
- Buy
- Build
- Switch
- Manage
- Further lending
- Explore home loans
- Request a call back
- Track application
- FAQ
- How to guides
- Buy
- Explore buy
- First time home buyer
- Repeat buyer
- Renewable energy financing
- HomeVision
- Home-buying Toolkit
- Edge properties
- Repossessed properties
- Switch
- Explore switch
- Further lending
- Explore further lending
- Student loans
- Explore student loans
- Overdrafts
- Vehicle finance
- Solar finance
- Debt assistance
- Consolidate all your debts into a simple loan | Nedbank
- Short-term payment relief | Nedbank
- Take charge and restructure your finances | Nedbank
- Assisted-sales solutions for homes and vehicles | Nedbank
- Flexible payment plans for loans and credit | Nedbank
- Understanding how repo rate works | Nedbank
- We have payment solutions to get you back on track
- Consolidate all your debts into a simple loan | Nedbank
- Short-term payment relief | Nedbank
- Take charge and restructure your finances | Nedbank
- Assisted-sales solutions for homes and vehicles | Nedbank
- Flexible payment plans for loans and credit | Nedbank
- Understanding how repo rate works | Nedbank
- We have payment solutions to get you back on track
- Insure
- Life cover
- Funeral cover
- Short term insurance
- Credit Life
- Travel insurance
- Business cover
- Secure investments
- Explore Insure
- Life cover
- Get a call back
- Explore MyCover life
- Funeral cover
- Individual R10,000
- Individual R30,000
- Family Cover
- Build your own cover
- Get a call back
- Explore MyCover Funeral
- Individual R10,000
- Individual R30,000
- Family Cover
- Build your own cover
- Short term insurance
- Vehicle insurance
- Building insurance
- House contents insurance
- Valuables insurance
- Alternative energy insurance
- Legal expenses | Nedbank Insurance
- Get a call back
- Explore MyCover short term insurance
- Vehicle insurance
- Building insurance
- House contents insurance
- Valuables insurance
- Alternative energy insurance
- Legal expenses | Nedbank Insurance
- Credit Life
- Home loan credit life
- MFC Vehicle Finance Assurance
- Overdraft Assurance
- Balance Protection Plan
- Personal loan Assurance
- Get a call back
- Explore credit life
- Home loan credit life
- MFC Vehicle Finance Assurance
- Overdraft Assurance
- Balance Protection Plan
- Personal loan Assurance
- Travel insurance
- Business cover
- Secure investments
- Guaranteed Growth Income Plan
- Guaranteed Growth Plan
- Get a call back
- Explore MyCover Funeral
- Guaranteed Growth Income Plan
- Guaranteed Growth Plan
- Plan
- Financial planning
- Estate, wills & trust services
- Nedbank Private Wealth
- Speak to a financial adviser
- Explore Plan
- Financial planning
- Investment planning
- Insurance planning
- Give
- Retirement planning
- Investment planning
- Insurance planning
- Give
- Retirement planning
- Estate, wills & trust services
- Will drafting
- Ensure your estate is managed by an executor | Nedbank
- Trust services
- Financial accounting
- Tax services
- Leave the admin of your estate to us, and not to your loved ones | Nedbank
- Will drafting
- Ensure your estate is managed by an executor | Nedbank
- Trust services
- Financial accounting
- Tax services
- Leave the admin of your estate to us, and not to your loved ones | Nedbank
- Nedbank Private Wealth
- Speak to a financial adviser
- Learn
- Blog
- Explore Learn
- Blog
- A financial adviser can help you plan your future
- Everything you need to know about student loans
- A financial adviser can help you plan your future
- Everything you need to know about student loans
- Contact us
- Talk to us
- Find us
- Explore Contact us
- Talk to us
- Find us
Should you be working from home?
Should you be working from home?
Staff writer
Posted 23/05/2023 Updated 03/08/2023 4 mins
You may be more productive when you aren’t office based – but is it good for you?
Over the past few years, many people were forced to work from home (WFH) or remotely due to various lockdown circumstances. However, as more businesses encourage employees to return to the office, a new workplace debate has cropped up – is a hybrid of remote and office-based work the future of the workplace?
Some businesses allow employees to work from home, others allow them to work remotely. What’s the difference? Well, it’s simple. If you have been granted permission to WFH, you are expected to work from the residential address that you’ve supplied to your HR department.
If your company allows you to work remotely, you can work from anywhere – provided you are able to connect to your business systems seamlessly. That be a challenge considering the ongoing Eskom load-shedding in South Africa, and the need to be hypervigilant about the security of your online connection. Where you work could also affect your employer’s rights when it comes to matters of occupational health and safety, so you must clear where you work with your boss and your HR department.
Of course, WFH or working remotely isn’t new (companies like Apple, GitHub, Google and Microsoft have been offering this for years), and while the prospect of working in a space of your choosing sounds great, being on your own physically while trying to contribute to team projects can be challenging.
‘I certainly feel that I’m getting more done: for work, with my family, and around the house,’ writes Vasundhara Sawhney for Harvard Business Review. ‘What’s more, I have greater flexibility to decide what to do when, whether that means answering emails in the evening or spending time with loved ones during the day. There’s a reason that WFH was on the rise even before the pandemic, and now both organisations and individuals seem more comfortable with it than ever before.’
WFH has its downsides
Sawhney says the downsides of prolonged WFH, however, can include monotony, social isolation and burnout: ‘This can’t be ignored.’
In her article What do we like about WFH?, she says: ‘According to one survey, employees working apart from colleagues were most concerned about diminished collaboration and communication, increased loneliness and being unable to unplug. And studies show that what remote workers gain in efficiency and productivity, they lose in harder-to-measure benefits such as creativity, innovation, teamwork, trust and empathy.’
There are upsides when you work from home
It’s not all doom and gloom, though. Flexibility in setting your schedule and managing your time is an obvious benefit of WFH, as is the saving in time and money you can make by removing the need for a daily commute. And if you can train yourself to separate ‘office time’ from ‘personal time’, so you can log off when you finish your working day to spend time with your loved ones, you’ll reduce your risk of burnout or succumbing to the ‘always on’ syndrome.
There are many successful remote workers across different industries
WFH can also be good for businesses. In a piece published by Harvard Business School, journalist Kristen Senz writes, ‘Companies that let their workers decide where and when to do their jobs –whether in another city or in the middle of the night – increase employee productivity, reduce turnover, and lower organisational costs.’
Flexibility is key to keeping employees engaged
Senz continues: ‘New research by Prithwiraj Choudhury, an associate professor in the Technology and Operations Management Unit at Harvard Business School, and fellow researchers compared the outcomes of flexible work arrangements at the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The team found that employees with liberal ‘work from anywhere’ arrangements, similar to those offered at Akamai, NASA, and GitHub, among others, were 4.4% more productive than those following a more traditional ‘work-from-home’ policy that gives schedule flexibility but requires workers to live near the office.’
Senz adds the research highlights that ‘working from home’ gives workers temporal flexibility, and that working remotely or ‘work from anywhere’ goes a step further and provides both temporal and geographic flexibility.
‘Digital technology has made workers more efficient and accessible than ever before, [but] many companies have been slow to let employees work from home regularly, let alone from anywhere at any time. The study’s findings can help firms understand the effects of various flex-work options, and support certain types of employees as they negotiate with employers,’ she writes.
Meanwhile, Choudhury’s study notes the results have important implications for workers, who could potentially move to lower-cost areas, reduce commuting costs, and live closer to family and friends.
The types of people who can work from home or remotely
Not everyone is cut out for WFH or flexible remote work. While some people thrive in a remote work environment, others may struggle. Here are some of the different types of personalities that can work from home or remotely with success. If you identify with one or more of these traits, you should thrive in WFH environments – which is beneficial to you and your employer.
Self-starters
Self-starters are highly motivated and driven individuals who do not need someone to micromanage them. They are proactive and take charge of their work, which makes them great candidates for remote work. They know how to prioritise tasks, manage their time effectively, and deliver high-quality work on time.
Independent workers
Independent workers are individuals who enjoy working alone and do not need constant supervision or collaboration to get their work done. They are self-sufficient and can work on their own without needing too much direction. They are great at setting their own goals and finding ways to achieve them independently.
Flexible individuals
Flexible individuals are those who can adapt to changing circumstances quickly. They are not rigid in their thinking or behaviour and can adjust their work style to suit the needs of the company or the project. They are open-minded and can work well with different types of people and personalities.
Communication experts
Calling all writers? Seriously though, working remotely requires a high level of communication skills, both written and verbal. Communication experts are individuals who can express their ideas clearly and concisely, whether it is through email, chat or video calls. They are great at keeping others informed about their progress, asking for feedback, and resolving issues quickly.
Tech-savvy individuals
Working remotely requires individuals to have a good understanding of technology, such as video conferencing software, project management tools, and cloud-based storage systems. Tech-savvy individuals are comfortable with using technology and can troubleshoot technical issues on their own, which makes them ideal candidates for remote work.
Goal-oriented individuals
Goal-oriented individuals are highly focused and driven by achieving their goals. They set clear objectives for themselves and work diligently to achieve them. They are great at managing their time and resources effectively and know how to prioritise their tasks to meet their goals.
We built the Nedbank Money app to help you bank from anywhere, anytime using your smartphone
Remote work is not for everyone. However, if you possess some of the traits discussed above, you might be well-suited to work from home or remotely.
Successful remote workers you can draw inspiration from
There are many successful remote workers across different industries, some of whom include:
Darren Murph A remote-work expert who leads GitLab's global remote team. He has worked remotely for over a decade and has written extensively about the topic.
Matt Mullenweg Mullenweg is the co-founder of WordPress, a content management system used by millions of websites worldwide. He is a strong advocate for remote work and runs Automattic, the company behind WordPress, with a fully distributed team.
Scott Hanselman Hanselman is a well-known software developer and advocate for remote work. He has been working remotely (for Microsoft mostly) for over a decade and runs a popular blog and podcast sharing his experiences.
Tim Ferriss You've probably heard his name before if you like to read. Ferriss is the author of the bestselling book The 4-Hour Workweek and a successful entrepreneur. He advocates for remote work as a way to increase productivity and reduce stress.
Tracy Osborn Osborn is a designer and the founder of WeddingLovely, an online platform for wedding planning. She runs her business remotely and has written extensively about the benefits of remote work.
Laurel Farrer As a remote-work consultant and speaker, Farrer helps companies transition to remote working. She has been working remotely for over a decade and has helped numerous businesses successfully adopt the practice.
These individuals, among many others, have built successful careers as remote workers and have shown that working remotely (including WFH) is a practical and effective way to work.
Nedbank understands that remote workers require flexible banking solutions. We built the Nedbank Money app to help you bank from anywhere, anytime using your smartphone. More than 2 million South Africans use the Money app. From opening a new account to applying for personal loan, you can do it all from a remote location as long as you’re connected to a secure Wi-Fi network or mobile network. The Nedbank Money app is available in the Apple App store, Google Play store and Huawei App Gallery and is compatible with most popular smart devices.