The Benefits of Remote Working

With the capability to work from anywhere and anytime the remote work has become a global work movement. It was taking shape even before the advent of the coronavirus pandemic which forced people to work from their residence. Providing the employees this flexibility to work from anywhere and at any time they wish has become a commonplace occurrence for all companies and industries of varying sizes. Several top organizations offer partial or full-time remote work. Working remotely doesn’t have to be from home either; it can from any place such as a restaurant or a coffee shop. Remote work provides greater autonomy and flexibility for the employees.

A better work to life balance

For several businesses working remotely was a nigh-impossible task till a couple of decades ago. Without having access to the right technology it was practically mandatory for an employee to visit the office for their work. A blurred line between home and work can be the downside if working remotely. Therefore, maintaining a healthy work to life balance is a top priority for several employees. A capability to balance the two worlds is the key to feeling happy and being productive at work. People are saving time on the long commute with a better work-life balance.

Greater freedom for the employees

It is pretty clear that remote work allows the employees to be engaged, happy, and fulfilled. According to a recently published report, there is an optimal engagement boost when the staff spends 3-4 days away from the worksite. If you want to visit your family living in another state or visit the child’s school to watch a football game, a conventional employee will have to take some time off to be able to do so while the remote employee can visit the places from home as required. They can work from home, travel abroad, or be in the office for one day, the remote employees will enjoy the benefits of remote work.

Raised productivity

Employers these days are struggling with their very common question if I can’t see the employees working, are they? Whether an employer can trust the team even when it is not working in the office may be the key to driving greater productivity in the remote working scenario. Data available has indicated that when employees can skip the long commute, coffee breaks, and other distractions to concentrate on work the productivity is at the highest. There was a two-year-long study conducted by Stanford University by studying 500 employees by dividing them into traditional and remote groups. The remote group showed a boost in productivity amounting to a full day’s work. Not only that there were fewer sick reporting and more than 50% reduction in attrition.

Plus, it is easy to monitor your team’s work and see whether they are getting their tasks done. You can ask them to share documents or grant your access to them. However, there can be an influx of instant messages, emails, videos, etc. and it may be a good idea to zip the files during the transfer. This is done in order to distribute files faster and more securely.

Promotes the well-being of the employee

As there is no commute involved, no rush for lunch, and no long hours away from friends and family, there is scope for improvement in the wellness and health of the employee by decreasing stress and reducing the exposure to possibly sick colleagues. However, the employees must not skip a wellness plan while working remotely such as a company wellness program including going to a gym. It is just as significant as for those with routine office work.

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About the Author:

Dana Brown is a young architect, mainly focused on urban planning. She is also fond of writing, which she does occasionally. She is usually inspired by her experiences but enjoys writing for different columns as well.