Working Remotely Can More Than Halve an Office Employee’s Carbon Footprint

Working remotely doesn’t always mean “from home,” either; it can apply anytime an employee works off-site—whether that’s at a coffee shop or a flexible workspace. With today’s technology, there’s no excuse for employers not to reap the benefits of a remote workforce. Internet connection and a good digital workplace platform means employees have access to all the apps they need to do their work. Collaboration suites (Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace) messaging apps, task management tools, your intranet platform and many other digital collaboration tools are all here to improve the work of any remote worker. In the past remote working was seen as something just for freelancers or the self-employed. Since the recent Covid-19 pandemic there’s been a rapid increase in working from home and the benefits of remote working for employers have become visible.

  • Choudhury and his coauthors compared 600 examiners’ productivity under these various conditions.
  • Landing a consistent style of collaboration and actively promoting inclusion are areas companies need to explore for a positive experience for remote workers.
  • Twitter and Facebook have already given their employees permission to work remotely on a permanent basis.
  • This can result in increased productivity and reduced absenteeism.

This greater sense of comfort and better work-life balance lead to less stress. Cost-effectiveness and productivity are, therefore, among the most commonly cited advantages of remote work. But beyond these economic effects, there are many other benefits of remote work that appeal to both employers and employees. Landing a consistent style of collaboration and actively promoting inclusion are areas companies need to explore for a positive experience for remote workers. These are key challenges for “hybrid” companies (HQ-based office workers, periodic wfh, and compete remote). Remote workers report that increased productivity, better focus, and less stress are some of the top reasons they work remotely.

Remote work can save businesses money and reduce absenteeism. But it also comes with its disadvantages.

Since then many workers have returned to the office—but around 20 percent have continued to work from home at least part-time. This is another one of the benefits of allowing employees to work from home. When an employee feels their boss trusts them to do how companies benefit when employees work remotely their job in their own way this builds respect. If you work remotely and have your own office space you can personalize it to reflect your personality. You can put up as many pictures of your kids and animals as you wish, to create an inspiring workspace.

benefits of working remotely

Gas, car maintenance, transportation, parking fees, a professional wardrobe, lunches bought out, and more can all be reduced or eliminated from your spending entirely. “The concern is that there is some underlying characteristic of people that is driving whether one wants to become a remote worker, and that characteristic is also correlated to productivity,” explains Choudhury. Seeking to increase efficiency, the agency implemented the Telework Enhancement Act Pilot Program (TEAPP) in 2012. The program transitioned patent examiners to a work-from-anywhere policy over 24 months, shifting new examiners each month based on union-negotiated quotas. This implementation process enabled Choudhury and his co-authors to avoid what is known as the selection problem in social science research. As illustrated above, I believe work-tracking software should be used to benefit the employee instead of surveillance, which can not only make employees feel uncomfortable but could also degrade trust and cause malcontent.

Pro: Remote workers feel less stressed and more focused.

Many organizations spend years building the perfect teams of dedicated and talented employees. They also want to be able to hold on to those teams for as long as possible. Even though many employers are concerned about the potential lack of productivity of remote workers, the majority of them actually find the contrary to be true. Companies across the world are asking employees to work from home. Hence, remote work has become the new normal for businesses and workers alike.

  • As of February 2022, nearly 60% of U.S. workers with jobs that can be done remotely are working from home all or most of the time, according to Pew.
  • While early predictions suggested that this new trend was a passing fad likely to end with the pandemic, it’s now clear that remote work is here to stay.
  • Our company guide can also be a great way to find the best companies for remote work, broken down by industry or location.
  • This can be especially helpful for job seekers living in rural communities and small towns where there may not be many available local positions.

If it’s not available, they’ll keep looking for a better work experience. And while that should be reason enough to support it, it’s also good for your bottom line. CEOs who adapt rapidly by creating their ideal environment will build stronger companies and wind up with stronger, more committed talent. Save time and find higher-quality jobs than on other sites, guaranteed.

Hybrid Work Environment in Demand

Still, the reality of a 30-second commute from bedroom to home office (or dining room table) is more complex than the fantasy. There are significant advantages to working from home for many, but there are disadvantages and challenges too. Let’s look at the pros and cons of WFH so you can determine where you’ll flourish the most. Many of the examiners also benefited financially by bringing their Greater Washington, DC, salaries to less costly regions, effectively increasing their real incomes. Early- and mid-career workers tended to choose locations based on future career considerations, while workers with longer tenures flocked to “retirement-friendly” destinations, such as Florida.

Whether it’s dropping kids off at school, running some errands, attending an online fitness class in the morning, or being home for a contractor, these tasks (and more!) are all easier to balance when you work from home. I can use my breaks to get dishes out of the way or cut veggies for dinner, which gives me more time to spend with my husband and the kids in the evening. Known as the ability to work from anywhere, anytime, remote work was a full-on global work movement even before the coronavirus pandemic forced many to work from their homes. No one’s internet connection is completely stable at every possible second. Electricity and internet outages aside, connections can vary in speed and reliability over the course of a day.

How to Motivate Your Team

They don’t have to travel whilst feeling unwell and can rest if they need to. Someone who has a long journey is much more likely to call in sick than if they just have to walk from one room to another. Employees sometimes need time off to take care of emergencies or doctor’s appointments. Employees who work from home can organize their day better, as they can easily schedule their chores and appointments around work. Thanks to the advent of project management solutions, it’s very easy to get the entire team on the same page even when team members have never seen each other in real life. Studies show that many of the most qualified candidates you could hope to attract for your company prioritize remote work.

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