What is Remote Work?
Let’s start with the basics. Remote work, working from home, telecommuting all just refers to working outside of the typical corporate office setting. Apple, Google, and Microsoft are some of the biggest tech companies that have adopted remote work as they’ve seen its potential and have implemented it within their own company.
Thanks to modern technology, we can work in more free-spirited ways, making remote work increasingly popular. Sitting outside at a coffee shop catching some rays may be how you get your creative juices flowing, or in a quiet room in your house is how you work best. While we’ve been able to work remotely for years, it has recently become more common. The benefits of remote work are catching the attention of an increasing number of companies, so the number of flexible jobs will most likely increase because of this.
I’m sure you’ve heard others tell you they’re working remotely or they’re traveling and taking their work with them, but did you get what an awesome benefit it is for them, their quality of life, and, more importantly, their soul?
Work does not need to be done in a specific place to be performed successfully. Think of it this way: instead of your employees commuting to an office every day to work from a desk you assigned to them, or in a small dark cubicle, they can get all their work done wherever they please.
When your employees can successfully tackle projects and daily tasks without needing to do the dreaded daily commute to an office, it just makes sense to work remotely. There are huge benefits for both the business and the employee. There are different levels of remote work opportunities, but each type provides the benefit of a flexible work and personal life.
Some of the common remote work positions are:
- IT including website development
- Customer service
- Marketing
- Sales
- Project management
- Real estate
- Accounting and finance
The list goes on, and it’s ever-increasing. Many companies are changing the way they typically operate to accommodate their employees so they could work remotely.
The Benefits of Remote Work
Working remotely has a lot of benefits, some of which are:
No commuting: There’s no need to travel to work. You can simply wake up in the morning, freshen up, grab some breakfast and a coffee, maybe a little fresh air, then you sit down at the computer and get started.
The long-term effects of having a stressful commute can be critical, including depression, anxiety, and a negative impact on one’s sleep. The daily commute can be downright draining mentally and physically. Research has proven the ongoing stress is harmful to overall physical and psychological health.
Reduced cost: For businesses, there’s a huge financial saving since they don’t need the added office space, supplies, utilities. Also, a remote employee in the US could save up to $4,000 a year on gas, coffee, eating out for lunch daily.
Fewer distractions: In an office environment, there are typically lots of different distractions happening at one time. Employees are much more effective when they’re not constantly distracted by the action of the office. Studies show 34% of employees like their jobs less when they are in a distracting workplace.
Work-life balance: People who work remotely tend to be happier and healthier too so the benefits can fall into family life and work-life balance while improving their personal health.
So How Does Remote Work Really Work?
Remote working requires you to create your own work environment. This is great because you can create the environment that works best for you. You could work from home, a cafe or coffee shop, or even a co-working space in your area; you could also switch it up daily and rotate through all four if you want.
Do you need a change of scenery? No problem! All you need is a laptop and a wireless connection, which most of the time, the company will provide you with the laptop, tools, and software you will be using to make sure you’re always connected.
In many cities nowadays, you will find co-working spaces that will give you the comfort of working from home, but with actual office space you can use as needed. It will give you the professional amenities that you’d find in a corporate environment but you could choose when you want to use the space to work. They can be used by people with flexible full-time jobs, freelancers or even entrepreneurs who need a little office space for themselves or their few team members. It’s a great office environment that’s there when you need one.
Happy Employees Work Remotely
The remote working lifestyle gives huge opportunities that many take full advantage of. Being able to set your own schedule, you’re able to work whenever you are most creative or productive. Some remote employees decide to leave their traditional routines behind and travel to see the world.
Wherever makes your heart happy where you are most productive, you may go there to work, that is as long as it’s not completely off the grid with no internet access. Bring your laptop, and your computer and your office could be anywhere in the world! Remote employees are able to focus on the things that matter most to them outside of the office. Employees who are also parents have the flexibility to start work earlier to be present when their children get home from school. Being home for dinner with the family each night is super important to many and even worth getting paid a little less to do so.
Remote employees have less stress and more positive morale than in-office employees. Less stress means you have a happier healthier employee that will produce better work and really be more enthusiastic and committed to their companies. So from this point of view, remote work is just good for business.
This is thinking with an open mind that everybody is different and operates differently. Working remotely gives flexibility for everyone to work however or wherever they work best. As long as they are productive and get the work done, it doesn’t matter where they are doing it.
One thing some remote workers have a hard time doing is knowing when to turn off the computer and leave it behind after a full workday. Checking emails, answering work calls and working on projects all day and night can become a problem if you never mentally put work away. You will get burnt out quickly and be less productive and possibly even start hating your job. This is part of the work-life balance.
Why The Best Bosses Let Employees Work Remotely
For starters, research shows that businesses lose a hefty $600 billion a year to workplace distractions and that remote workers are 35% to 40% more productive than in-office employees. I mean, that alone is enough of a reason for an employer to let their staff work remotely.
Need more of a reason?
Another study showed 75% of employees working remotely report being able to maintain or improve productivity on their individual tasks, and 51% say the same about collaborative tasks.
Some of the reasons for increased productivity are due to:
- Fewer interruptions
- More focused time
- Quieter work environment
- More comfortable workspace
- No “office politics” and less chance for a toxic work culture
There are also the added costs when having employees in-office for rent, utilities, supplies, and cleaning fees. Also, the unnecessary meetings that the employees always seem to expect snacks and drinks at. There’s just added costs here and there when having an office full of employees.
Another hidden benefit is when there’s no water cooler to chat with a coworker; there’s naturally less or maybe even no office politics. Office politics could have a negative effect on the organization and the people in it. It’s how rumors start and how some companies lose top employees.
Recruitment is sometimes the biggest headache for businesses. When your employees work remotely and have a happy work-life balance, they are likely to stay with your company longer, even if another company is offering more pay but needs to work in the office full time. Working remotely for a better work-life balance is worth getting paid less to many employees. So it saves the company of the dreaded constant headhunting costs and process.
Sold On Remote Work?
So are we. There are many benefits to working remotely for all involved. Employees are more productive, happier, healthier with less stress, and are more committed to their companies. Businesses reap the benefits of more productive employees with less overhead and out of pocket expenses, which increases their profits and bottom line.
If you’re looking to outsource some of your workload, contact AwesomeCX.com, and we’ll show you how we can help!
Sources:
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/work-life-balance
https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/remote-work-statistics/
https://www.bcg.com/publications/2020/valuable-productivity-gains-covid-19