10 proven benefits of working remotely for organizations

While certain groups—especially working parents—have embraced the flexibility, many younger workers benefit from being in the office to learn from others, gather real-time feedback and make connections. And from what we’ve learned from our internal how companies benefit when employees work remotely surveys, Progressive employees do, too. When you have flexibility, you can adjust your work to the speed of life. Maintaining a high performing culture in a remote or hybrid world means building up certain things and letting go of others.

While the benefits of remote work are evident, the WFH research report also acknowledged challenges. Some employees may experience isolation, difficulty maintaining a healthy work-life balance or struggle with creating a productive work environment at home. Landing a consistent style of collaboration and actively promoting inclusion are areas companies need to explore for a positive experience for remote workers.

Health and happiness

Or maybe you need to spend some time meditating to clear your mind before an important meeting. One of the biggest work from home pros is that individuals can structure their workdays in a way that supports their productivity and enables them to enjoy their lives outside of the 9-to-5. Moreover, in the case of employees with physical disabilities, their homes can be fully equipped to help them be comfortable and productive when they work. So companies that allow employees to work remotely can tap into a deeper pool of workers who would otherwise not consider the position. Companies that allow employees to work remotely typically notice that fewer employees call out.

As a result, managers may spend more time coaching a new remote employee. Neurodivergent individuals and people with disabilities may also experience unique challenges when working remotely. For example, many neurodivergent employees benefit from the flexibility of remote work, but also struggle with time management and staying organized in a remote setting. Employees with disabilities may need extra support for remote meetings that they wouldn’t need for in-person meetings. However, remote work is also highly beneficial for many employees with disabilities as well. For example, remote meetings are often preferable for employees with limited mobility.

The top 9 benefits of remote work for employers

As we’ve long known, remote work has a host of advantages for workers. Remote work makes some employees worry about career progression, and nearly 60% of managers feel remote work is robbing them of opportunities for informal leadership development, according to the Owl Labs survey. This is where remote team-building efforts and one-on-one discussions on career development are critical for the well-being of employees and the long-term growth of the organization. With tech firms, financial services and insurance investing in remote work accessories, it appears they do not intend to return to the pre-pandemic work settings. Moreover, young people working in more progressive organizations are already into remote working from different parts of the world, using Airbnbs and more specialized work-life abodes.

• And today’s millennials almost expect to have the choice of working remotely as they’ve grown up with technology that allows this.
• This is especially beneficial for introverts who may need more quiet time to think and work independently.
• Employers can hire geographically distributed talent and reduce overhead expenses, while employees can gain flexibility, save time, and reduce transportation and some child-care costs.
• The future of work, post-Covid 19, is likely to be even more remote-friendly, with more companies offering flexible working arrangements and employees valuing the freedom of working remotely.
• Remote work means employees can work from anywhere — not just their home.

It also gives workers the flexibility to get to doctor’s and other healthcare appointments when needed. Having no set job location means that, pre-pandemic, fully remote workers could also travel and live as digital nomads while having a meaningful career. Though a full nomad lifestyle is currently on hold, as borders begin to open up, it’s still a definite perk. A frequent complaint in today’s world is the difficulty of striking a good work-life balance. Working eight or more hours a day leaves little time for family — especially when commutes and sleep are factored in. Working from home eliminates lengthy commutes, enabling more time with loved ones.

Personalize

The pandemic accelerated the widespread adoption of remote work, especially in the technology sector, and the trend is here to stay. However, when is it best to deploy a hybrid work arrangement, a fully remote workforce or require all employees to be full time in the office? The answer can be complicated because it is a personal choice and relies on employer preference and the type of work needed. Executives also need to be thoughtful when determining who has access to desks, meeting rooms and other key spaces. Desk booking software programs like Robin or OfficeSpace are helpful tools that put the power in the employees’ hands, allowing them to book desks as needed. These tools allow users to block out desk space based on type of work—for example, an employee with frequent client meetings should always have access to private meeting room spaces.

Choudhury and his coauthors compared 600 examiners’ productivity under these various conditions. While working remotely, productivity increased among all examiners and continued to rise with each step toward the full work-from-anywhere policy, the researchers found. Productivity increased 4.4 percent when employees moved from working at home on a limited basis https://remotemode.net/ to the location of their choice. Based on a patent’s average value, this productivity gain could add $1.3 billion of value to the US economy each year, the researchers estimate. Despite the largely positive findings on the benefits of telecommuting, just 7% of American companies offer the option to most or all of their employees, according to recent BLS data.