Some of us have dreamed of working remotely all our adult lives. For others, the pandemic offered no other choice but to make the transition.

Regardless of which group you fell into, one thing is sure: There are more people who work remotely than ever before.

In 2010, only 24% of Australians worked (at least part-time) from home. Months of lockdowns and restructuring forced many more to join their ranks, including those who’d never considered the option before.

Interestingly, up to 60% of Australians now report that they’d like to continue working from home 2-3 days a week, even after the pandemic passes.

Whether you work remotely part-time or full-time, you may face a challenge when it comes to gift-giving. How can you coordinate with your coworkers and give a present to a colleague when you rarely (or never) see each other?

You’re in the right place, so keep reading to learn more about safe, contactless gift giving.

Common Challenges of Working Remotely

Aside from the obvious (wanting to do something nice for your friend), why else should you consider gift-giving while we all work remotely from home? Here are some key reasons why your gift is sure to be valued.

Isolation & Loneliness

Feelings of loneliness and isolation are a big problem for remote workers, especially those of us who had to make an abrupt transition. Our colleagues often become our closest friends. We look forward to chatting in the break room or going out for drinks together on a Friday night.

With all our communication via email, Slack, or Skype, we start to miss real human interaction. Even a team video conference or virtual office party can’t replace the banter we enjoyed before the pandemic.

With that social structure gone, it’s all too common for remote workers to feel isolated—even a little depressed. We may wonder if our colleagues will care (or even remember) if we have a birthday, maternity leave, or another special event coming up.

Imagine how thrilled your friend will be to realise that you not only remembered, but you cared enough to remotely organise a gift for them!

Cut off From Company Culture

What if some people in your company are still at the office while others work remotely from home? Or what if you’re rotating through a schedule of spending a few days in-house and the rest of the week at home?

Either way, it’s easy to feel like you’re not really “part” of the team. It can be tricky to integrate yourself into the company’s culture and stay on the management’s radar. This is especially challenging for those trying to work their way up the corporate ladder.

Here’s another reason why gift-giving is both thoughtful and practical. Organising a gift is a great excuse to catch up with your colleagues and see how they’re coping with the changes. And the recipient is sure to feel honoured and reminded that they’re still an important part of the company.

Lack of Work-Life Balance

It seems like working from home is the perfect solution for a better work-life balance, but that’s not always the case.

Without the structure and routine of an office, the line between work time and downtime can quickly become blurred. 41% of people who work remotely admit they were more productive at the office, even if they’re putting in extra hours at home.

It’s all too common for remote workers to struggle while they try to balance their work and family commitments. Rather than spending more time with their loved ones at home, they might actually spend less.

Your group gift is not only thoughtful, but it will be the perfect excuse for them to take a night off and go do something fun with their family. Isn’t that something all of us could use?

New Times Call for New Solutions

Are you ready to organise a group gift for your colleague’s farewell, get well, or another event? It’d be nice if you could walk through the office collecting funds from everyone, but that might not be possible for a while yet.

Remember earlier when we mentioned those feelings of isolation and loneliness? Organising a contactless group gift is a fantastic way to show your colleagues you care and keep you united as a team.

The question is: How can you get everyone involved when you’re all working from home?

Gift-Giving Is Easy (Even When You Work Remotely)

GroupTogether has the digital solution you need to organise and send the perfect gift to your friend. In fact, it might be the easiest thing you do all day!

How does it work? Simply visit Grouptogether.com to create and share a link for your gift. When your colleagues receive the link, they can easily make their contribution to the group fund and sign an electronic card online.

GroupTogether can even sort the gift for you, making it a truly hassle-free experience. We’ve partnered with all the best brands to give you plenty of wonderful options to choose from. You can choose a gift card or give an AnyCard which lets your friend choose which shop to spend it in.

Of course, you can also use it to buy a gift you already had in mind for your colleague. The choice is up to you.

Sounds great, right? And we haven’t even gotten to the best part yet: It’s free!

GroupTogether to Make Someone’s Day!

As you can see, gift-giving can be simple even when you and your colleagues work remotely from home.

Here at GroupTogether, we make it easy to say you care, no matter how much distance separates us. Doesn’t it make you feel good to know you’ve found an efficient solution to the group gifting dilemma?

What are you waiting for? It’s time to start your collection today. You’ll quickly see that it’s fun, easy to use, and (best of all) it’s free!