The thought of working at an office, dealing with a rigid schedule, and commuting again feels intolerable for some.
Working from home during COVID-19 has reshaped how people perceive their careers and maintain work-life balance worldwide. For many remote workers, returning to a traditional 9-to-5 office job was not worth it.
Sarah Hesham, a 25-year-old freelance graphic designer, shares the sentiment.
After the pandemic forced remote work, Hesham realized how much better her life was without the daily stress of office work and long commutes. She has been working from home for the past four years.
A 2022 study by Nashwa Tawfiq from Ain Shams University reports remote work, characterized by flexible hours and structure, is a shift toward a world that is increasingly free from pre-pandemic constraints. Unlike office jobs, remote work eliminates traditional management structures, allowing collaboration to take place in virtual teams. It also reduces strict hierarchies and promotes autonomy, a change that Hesham values.
The Perks of Working From Home
“The best thing about working from home is the flexibility,” Hesham said. “I get to set my schedule and work during my most productive hours. My home office provides the ideal working conditions, with a comfortable chair and the right equipment, allowing me to work in my pajamas, manage my time, and stay as comfortable as possible.”
She can also take breaks when needed and not deal with office politics and gossip or get stuck in unplanned, spur-of-the-moment meetings. The cherry on top is not having to deal with Cairo’s traffic every morning.
Similarly, Zeyad Ibrahim, a 31-year-old remote software engineer, struggled with long commutes as a full-time in-office worker.
“Anyone living in Cairo knows how much time and energy is wasted in traffic, which is unpredictable and stressful,” he told Egyptian Streets. “Working remotely, I get these hours back and have more control over his schedule.”
Ibrahim started working remotely in 2020 when his company went fully online due to COVID. Pre-COVID, he worked in an office in New Cairo and lived in Giza, which meant dealing with almost two hours of commuting to and from work. After the lockdowns, he realized he was much happier working from home, so he switched to a fully remote tech job and never considered going back to a traditional 9 to 5 job.
In his experience, working at the office can be chaotic—constant noise, people interrupting, and back-to-back meetings. He said, “At home, I can structure my work in a way that suits me, and I have a dedicated office space and use tools like time-blocking to stay on track.”
Higher Productivity At Home
“I don’t see the point of wasting time commuting and being forced to work set hours when I’m more productive remotely,” Ibrahim explained. “Especially since many tech companies worldwide are remote-friendly now, so I don’t feel limited by location.”
Mirroring Ibrahim’s sentiment, Hesham also feels more productive working from home.
While flexibility and autonomy are highly valued, the challenges of blurred boundaries between work and personal life cannot be ignored. When Hesham first started working from home, she struggled with separating work from personal time, especially since her family assumed she was “free” just because she was home.
According to the 2022 study, working from home, despite its growing prevalence, continues to be dismissed as an extension of household chores, struggling for recognition as real employment in a world still tethered to traditional workplace norms.
“Over time, I set boundaries and made it clear that working from home is still work. I also have a dedicated workspace and a routine—headphones, dedicated focus time for an hour before being able to take a break for 10 minutes, and sometimes working from a quiet café if home is too noisy,” she noted.
Work-life Balance
Another downside to working from home is that extended work hours can lead to burnout. According to MarketSplash, about 28 percent of remote workers report difficulty in “switching off” from work mode, which can negatively impact mental health and productivity.
Hesham admits to struggling to stop working after hours, especially if her tasks are not finished. Being home makes it easy for her to delay meals and shift her sleep schedule, disrupting her routine and harming her health.
“Plus, sometimes employers expect remote workers to be available at any time, just a message away, so sometimes it is hard to navigate, and boundaries need to be set,” Hesham said.
Ibrahim, on the other hand, has more control over his working hours and time. He said, “I can start my day later, exercise, and even take breaks during the day without feeling guilty, unlike before when my whole routine revolved around my job’s schedule.”
However, networking represents a hurdle for Ibrahim, as networking remotely takes extra effort.
“In Egypt, personal connections play a big role in job opportunities, so I’ve had to be proactive about attending virtual meetups and engaging with industry professionals online,” he said.
Hesham reiterated Ibrahim’s concern, as networking is also tough for her. She has had to be more active on LinkedIn, join online communities, and meet up with people she has met online to deepen relationships.
Nonetheless, working from home has its perks. Hesham’s career opportunities have expanded significantly, allowing her to work with clients from the Gulf, Europe, and the U.S., which is an opportunity that would not have been possible if she had been tied to a local company.
The same applies to Ibrahim.
“I now work with international companies and earn in foreign currencies, which gives me much better financial security,” Ibrahim said, noting that if he had stayed in a local office job, his salary would not have the same growth potential.
When Office Jobs Trump
“If there is one thing I would say I miss about working in an office, it would be creating relationships with people and having lunch with my colleagues, chatting over coffee, and brainstorming ideas in person,” Hesham shared, a statement that Ibrahim agrees with.
He emphasized that occasional in-person collaboration can be beneficial and that some problems are easier to solve when the team is physically in the same room.
While remote work’s flexibility is crucial for Ibrahim, he said, “If I have an office job offer with a major pay raise, I’d reconsider because financial security is very important right now, especially with the rising costs in Egypt.”
As for Hesham, she would choose a full-time remote job over a full-time in-office job, even if it paid less. Hesham said, “Flexibility is very important to me, and I can always freelance for extra income if needed. Going to the office feels draining and quite wasteful.”
While remote work redefines flexibility, transforms management styles, and reshapes work dynamics in Egypt, it remains largely underrecognized. However, its potential to drive job creation and expand business services could strengthen the country’s role in the global economy with lower costs.
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