多くの人にとって、働き方を大きく変えることとなった2020年。何と言っても、オフィスへ毎日通勤していた私たちが、自宅等からの遠隔勤務中心の生活へシフトしたことで、「家」が持つ価値、家族との時間の使い方を見直す機会となりました。

英語では、遠隔勤務は、remote work、もしくは work from homeと言います。

さて、本日も3分で英語ブログを流し読み。本日は、リモートワークにまつわる12個の語彙とその用法を紹介します。

This year has been full of adjustments. For many people, one of the biggest changes has been transitioning from working in an office to working from home.  

With the shift to remote work comes a whole lot of new vocabulary to get used to.

Let’s have a look at some common expressions to talk about working remotely!

Expressions for working from home

1. Burn out

→ (verb) To become very tired from working too hard

Working from home has many advantages, but it’s easy to burn out if you don’t schedule your work properly and take time to rest.

2. Collaboration tool

→ (noun) A tool that helps people work together

Since we started working remotely, my co-workers and I have been using collaboration tools like Slack and Trello to share information about the projects we’re working on. 

3. Distraction

→ (noun) Something that makes it difficult to think or pay attention

It can be challenging to do your work from home—there are so many distractions like television and noisy family members. 

4. Flexibility

→ (noun) Having the ability to be changed easily

My favourite thing about remote work is that I have a lot of flexibility in my schedule; I can get my work done whenever it’s most convenient for me.

5. Freelancer

→ (noun) A person who earns money by doing different jobs for short periods of time rather than having one permanent employer.

If you don’t want to hire a full-time web developer, there are websites where you can find a freelancer to work on your project.

6. Productive

→ (adjective) To do or achieve a lot

To be productive as a remote worker, you need to plan a routine and make sure to take regular breaks.

7. Remote-friendly

→ (adjective) Describing a company that offers the option to work from home

I think that even after the pandemic is over, many companies will continue to be remote-friendly. 

8. Social isolation 

→ (noun) Having no social interaction with family or friends; having no contact with other people

Social isolation can be a problem for many remote workers. It’s important to go out and see other people to avoid loneliness. 

9. Telecommute 

→ (verb) To work from home or somewhere other than the physical workplace; to work remotely

I thought I was going to love telecommuting, but I actually prefer going to an office and seeing my co-workers every day.

10. Work-life balance

→ (noun) The idea that you need time for both work and for other parts of your life, like family time or leisure activities 

When you work and live in the same space, it can be hard to maintain a good work-life balance.

11. Workspace

→ (noun) The space used or required to do your work

I hate working from home because I don’t have a proper workspace. I have my computer set up on my kitchen table. 

12. Virtual team

→ (noun) A group of workers who communicate and work together using virtual tools; a remote team

It’s common these days for co-workers never to meet; virtual teams are often spread all around the world!

世界を未曾有の混乱に陥れた、新型コロナウィルス感染対策としての新しい働き方の浸透に伴い、今まで一般的でなかった語彙も日常的に使用されるようになりましたね。

新しい働き方は、私たちの生活に根付いてしまうのでしょうか？