The year of remote work
Remote work has certainly been the talk of the town this year. The year 2020 completely changed the nature of work for many. While health care and some service industry workers continued to work as normal, many people were forced to switch to remote working. For some, this change certainly posed some challenges, but others found themselves enjoying the freedom that remote work brought.
In his article on remote work, Harri Melin, Professor of Sociology at Tampere University, argues that the biggest obstacles to remote working are still most obviously cultural and organisational. Many jobs are usually still designed to be completed in the workplace. Additionally, supervision of work and employees also poses its challenges. The professor finds a lot of good things about remote working. Firstly, remote work can provide new job opportunities for those who have not been able to commute to work for various reasons. Secondly, work and leisure can be better balanced when employees are able to regulate their own working rhythms. Thirdly, remote work has a huge impact on the environment. And lastly, remote work decentralises work to the countryside and more remote regions. This in turn can have a positive impact on the vitality of different regions. The idea of revitalising areas affected by decreased tourism is also behind the remote work concept by Innovation Home.
Lapland Remote Office – Innovation in Levi
Already known for its various remote working sites, Innovation Home wants to be involved in supporting tourism in Lapland. Innovation Home will open a new innovation center in a prime location in the vicinity of the Levi ski slope on Visit Levi’s premises. This cooperation offers visitors the opportunity to seamlessly combine work and all the leisurely activities of the beautiful arctic environment. Innovation Home provides office premises and related services with fast network connections and access to its community network. Visit Levi, on the other hand, offers package accommodation at a tailor-made price. According to Petra Erätuli-Kola, the CEO of Innovation Home, the new office premises can currently accommodate a few people at a time, taking the current safety measurements into account. In the future, the facilities can be expanded if necessary. The office space will be completed in the beginning of October. Membership isn’t a requirement for using Innovation Home’s facilities, but a remote work station can also be rented for a day if needed.
”We want to create genuinely good conditions for remote working in Lapland: good internet connection, easy-to-access location in the Levi village centre to accommodate urgent meetings and great opportunities for families to combine tourism and work.”
The Innovation Home co-working chain has its own virtual platform for members to network and connect with each other between different sites. The new concept supports local entrepreneurs not only by bringing more visitors to Levi and Lapland, but also by providing the opportunity to network with remote workers both locally and internationally. The services and opportunities of the network consisting of 150 different companies are also brought to the attention of local entrepreneurs. Innovation home promotes itself as a company where sales, well-being, design and the network of members, as well as hub & club-like thinking are at the core of their operations.
A little bias is clearly a good thing in this matter, as it turns out the Innovation Home CEO herself loves Lapland and its nature: “We are more than excited to support local tourism in Lapland”.
Co-working and co-living in Ylläs
Another new player in the remote work scene in Lapland is 7 Fells Hostel. 7 Fells Hostel is a homely backpackers’ hostel in the middle of the village Äkäslompolo in Ylläs. Providing the opportunity to work remotely is a new concept for the company. The cancellations of foreign travellers for the late autumn and winter season, in addition to the already poor, pandemic-ridden spring, made the company want to start investing in longer-term accommodation. “Several regular customers also inquired about the possibility of staying with us for longer, so such a service was created especially for them”, shares Tinja, the entrepreneur behind 7 Fells Hostel.
Living and working in a hostel allows you to get connected with often similar-minded people and perhaps even bounce crazy, new ideas off new acquaintances.
Remote workers in different parts of the world form one big community. The sense of community is definitely the best aspect of 7 Fells Hostel also. Living and working in a hostel allows you to get connected with often similar-minded people and perhaps even bounce crazy, new ideas off new acquaintances. In addition to accommodation, a couple of fat bikes and snowshoes are available for use for remote workers at the hostel. The hostel has a comfortable living and dining area, a fully equipped kitchen and a possibility to do laundry.
Tinja also brilliantly points out that the concept of longer-term accommodation facilitates the well-being of the entrepreneur and her staff by providing more stability in the otherwise unpredictable economic situation. In Lapland, the sense of community runs deep: “We will also work with other local companies. We hope to co-operate with both wellness companies and tour operators.” By supporting local entrepreneurs, visitors make future travel to Lapland possible and accessible.
Remote work in remote location- Kilpisjärvi
Located near the very northwesternmost point of Finland, Kilpisjärvi with its untouched wilderness and delicate arctic nature provides its visitors the real remote working experience in a truly remote environment. The Saivaara Cottages offers not just the accommodation, but also the possibility of experiencing the highs of different arctic seasons. During wintertime, visitors don’t not have to worry about the lack of snow, as the northern location of the village ensures that snow is often found as early as the end of autumn. How would a day of remote work feel in the blaze of a fireplace?
Despite its northern location, the 4G connection also operates near the shores of the Arctic Ocean. In the embrace of the great fells, the village of Kilpisjärvi with its services is the perfect place to take short day trips or longer hikes to unique attractions. In addition to its cross-border access to Norway (if travel restrictions allow it), Kilpisjärvi is also one of the best places in the world for seeing the northern lights!
