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how companies benefit when employees work remotely

by Prof. Devin Morar Jr. Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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  1. Working remotely allows for better work-life balance. For many businesses, even a couple of decades ago, working remotely would have been nearly impossible.
  2. Remote employees have more freedom. It’s clear that the advantages of remote work help keep employees happy, engaged, and fulfilled. ...
  3. Being a remote employee promotes employee well-being. With no commute, no lunch rush, and no long hours in the office away from family or friends, working remotely can improve ...
  4. Remote work equals an increase in productivity. Employers today are grappling with an existential question for the ages: “If I don’t see my employees working, are they?”
  5. Working remotely saves companies money. Having fewer employees in the office also reduces costs for a business. Imagine a traditional office space.
  6. Offering remote work makes businesses more competitive. Regardless of product, mission, or business goals, it’s the people who drive business success. ...

Not only do remote employees produce more work, but their work is better. One study found that remote workers create results with up to 40% fewer mistakes. This is fantastic for an employer; higher quality work means less time correcting errors and more time focusing on projects that propel your business.Jun 7, 2021

Full Answer

How do companies benefit when employees work remotely?

  • A survey by TinyPulse found employees rate hybrid work as more exhausting than remote work.
  • Five hybrid workers spoke to Insider about how their productivity and happiness has changed.
  • Companies looking to do hybrid work successfully should make the transition slowly, experts say.

What are the benefits of working remotely?

Who benefits the most from working remotely?

  • Young parents. Employees with young children might favor working remotely because it gives them time to be with their kids and creates a better work-life balance.
  • Employees with health conditions. ...
  • People with a travel lifestyle. ...
  • People who work more than one job. ...

What are the advantages of working from home?

Pros of working from home

  • More independence. Working from home can provide autonomy and independence in your job that might be absent in a physical workplace.
  • No commute to work. ...
  • Save on expenses. ...
  • Increased productivity. ...
  • Improved technical skills. ...
  • Improved communication skills. ...
  • More work flexibility. ...
  • No office distractions. ...
  • Collaborate across locations. ...
  • Build professional networks. ...

More items...

What are the benefits of remote work?

Remote work has a number of benefits for employees and employers including increased productivity, access to better jobs and talent, and lower costs.

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How do companies benefit from remote work?

Add in the lack of a commute, and remote workers typically have more time and fewer distractions, which leads to increased productivity—a huge benefit of working from home for both employees and employers alike. When done right, remote work allows employees and companies to focus on what really matters—performance.

How does an employer benefit from employees working from home?

Working from home can be positive for both enterprise employers and employees. Increased productivity, improved work-life balance, and reduced costs are just some of the ways remote work flexibility can be mutually beneficial. Hopefully, you now have some ideas for how to hire remote employees the right way.

What kind of benefits would you recommend to your company for remote employees?

Here are 80 benefits that are most important for remote workers:Mental health support. Start providing mental health training and sessions virtually. ... Plant subscriptions. ... Home office setup. ... Workout classes. ... Childcare benefits. ... Meal home delivery. ... Tools and technology. ... Virtual team activities.More items...•

What are the benefits and drawbacks of working from home?

Advantages and disadvantages of working from homesaving you money - save on start-up costs, as you do not need to buy or rent business premises.saving you time - save time that would be spent on looking for suitable business property.more flexibility - avoid becoming tied into long term tenancy agreements.More items...

What do remote employees want?

“What remote workers want most is flexibility and autonomy. The flexibility to decide when, how and where we work – because we lead real, human lives and have personal responsibilities – and the autonomy of making those decisions without feeling like Big Brother is watching.”

Is remote work a perk?

As this Forbes' article astutely notes, remote work is no longer a “perk,” “lifestyle,” or “policy.” “As of 2018, remote work, telecommuting, and workplace flexibility have officially become a global industry.”

Why is it important to work remotely?

Another one of the benefits of working remotely for employees is that they can work from anywhere. People don’t have to be bound to a city that doesn’t correspond to their standards or preference , which also helps avoid unnecessary travelling.

What are the benefits of remote working?

Remote working has all kinds of benefits including staff motivation, increased productivity, and employee retention. And remote working doesn’t just apply to staff that work from home (telecommuting). It includes freelancers, contract workers, frontline workers, international workers, etc. In addition, a remote company can still have ...

Why is productivity important?

Productivity is essential to the growth of an organization. And productive employees mean greater efficiency and more profit. Employees can be more productive when working from home as it’s in their interest to get the job done effectively and not waste time.

What are the benefits of working from home?

One of the benefits of staff working from home for employers is the cost savings. Even if you still rent an office, employees can hot desk, which saves on space. Depending on whether the organization is completely virtual or not, employers can also save on:

Why is flexible working important?

Flexible working builds loyalty. This is another one of the benefits of allowing employees to work from home. And loyalty leads to trust from the employer and the employee. When an employee feels their boss trusts them to do their job in their own way this builds respect.

Is remote working a good thing?

Some employers even give refreshment or clothing allowances as a benefit. Remote working saves on these expenses, which can add up to a substantial amount. This means more disposable income available for other things, which is always a good thing.

Is remote working beneficial?

The benefits of remote working can be just as advantageous for the employer as the employee. Working out a mutually agreeable situation for both is ideal, as remote working is growing in popularity.

Why is working from home important?

When working from home, an employee arrives fresh at their desk and raring to go. Working from home also reduces their travelling costs, which means your employees can spend more of their money of the things they love. The result is a happier, healthier and more motivated workforce. 2. Improved employee retention.

Why is flexible working important?

These are a few of the most compelling reasons why adopting flexible working practices could boost your small business. 1. Less time spent commuting. A reduction in the amount of time spent on a stressful and unpleasant commute is undoubtedly a benefit for employees, but it could also give your business a boost too.

What is the key enabler of mobility?

Technology is the key enabler of mobility, with fast Wi-Fi connections, smartphones, cloud computing, instant messaging, project management software and VoIP allowing colleagues to communicate and collaborate instantaneously.

Why is it important to have a small business?

2. Improved employee retention. One of the biggest headaches for small businesses is losing the employees that make them tick. Small businesses cannot always compete with larger organisations when it comes to salary and benefits, so it’s important to make the most of the advantages you do have.

What is Irma's experience?

Irma's experience includes working for clients in different industries such as travel, retail, recruitment, technology and charitable institutions. Extensive networking and meeting professionals across different industries, allow her to collaborate with industry experts for her writing.

Can you split time between home and work?

In the vast majority of cases, the most productive solution for business owners and employees is to split time between home and the workplace. If you do, these benefits show that’s it’s not just the employees who will reap the rewards.

Do business owners need to have trust in their employees?

Business owners need to have a certain amount of trust in their employees to let them work from home, but those that do can benefit from an increase in productivity.

1. Determine who can work remotely

Are there specific teams and roles that can work remotely? Jobs that are well-suited for a flexible work policy include, but aren't limited to:

2. Provide tools that enable remote work

For employees to be successful in a flexible work environment, they need technology to help them do their best work. Determine which tools your team will need for employees to have a great remote work experience.

3. Set clear expectations

If you're serious about creating a remote work policy, transparency is key. Document exactly what is expected of remote employees, especially in regards to communication.

How productive are teleworkers?

Productivity — Teleworkers are an average of 35-40% more productive than their office counterparts, and have measured an output increase of at least 4.4%. Performance — With stronger autonomy via location independence, workers produce results with 40% fewer quality defects.

Is remote work a good idea?

Well, yes. The topic of remote work is producing a lot of attention — and research. There are many reports that tout the benefits of remote work from organizations like OwlLabs and Buffer, but privately-sourced data is in danger of biased results.

Is remote work beneficial?

In other words, if there is value in telecommuting for organizations, there is value for the world . But whether or not remote work is truly beneficial for organizations ...

Why is it important to work remotely?

But with a remote or distributed team, someone will always be around to answer questions and solve any problems.

Why is remote working important?

Remote working has made it possible for employees with mental health concerns and physical disabilities to drastically improve their lives. By not having to deal with the stress and constrictions of the office, employees can provide themselves with adequate self-care.

How much more productive are remote workers?

Multiple studies have shown that remote workers are 20% to 25% more productive than employees in an office. There are fewer distractions when you work from home. Moreover, there are multiple opportunities to take breaks exactly when needed.

How does remote work save money?

Introducing remote work in your organization will also help you save money. The two key areas where you’ll see costs reduced are offices and salaries. By allowing some of your workers to work remotely, you will need less office space. It is also possible that you may eliminate the need for an office altogether.

Why do people get absenteeism?

Busy schedules are another cause of absenteeism. 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.

Why do people reduce their work hours?

Sometimes, they reduce their work hours because they have the flexibility of working from home. Having a job that allows for flexible hours is a big requirement for more and more candidates, particularly for millennials. This means that by allowing employees to work remotely, you can choose from a wide range of candidates instead ...

Why do people need a dedicated workstation?

For example, some jobs, particularly in the tech industry, require employees to work in blocks of time. It means that they need to focus for several hours at a time.

What are the benefits of working remotely?

The benefits of working remotely for employees revolves around empowerment. The opportunity to assume a more flexible work schedule gives individuals the ability to tailor their work experience around what makes sense for them. The benefits associated with this freedom include:

Is working from home a perk?

Working from home has always been a coveted perk, but it hasn’t been until the last decade that it’s become a reality for many employees. While the privilege of working from home was once a status symbol, today more people are making the transition. In fact, the shift to remote work is happening on a grand scale. It’s a great opportunity for employees and businesses alike to reap the benefits of remote working.

Is remote work good for you?

Remote work offers an abundance of benefits, but not without potential drawbacks. Trust is a major component of remote work arrangements, for example. Employers need to trust that their employees will stay productive and maintain expectations; employees need to trust that their employers won’t abuse working hours or develop unrealistic expectations. There’s also the need to develop healthy work habits and maintain personal accountability, which may be difficult for some people.

No time wasted on office commute

When you do not need to make a tiring and nerve-racking commute to the office, it is undeniably one of the greatest benefits of working remotely. Time saved in commute also helps employers boost their productivity, as the workforce start working more efficiently than ever.

Reaching out to more applicants

Did you know one of the major factors behind the growth of the remote workforce is nothing but the millennial impact? As far as the Millennials are concerned, they are habituated to communicate online using their smartphones, tablets, and laptops efficiently from anywhere, anytime.

More staff retention

Today, the greatest challenge is the high attrition rate of employees, especially losing young talents and convincing them to stay with the organization. The problem is more acute for small-size businesses that fail to compete with giant corporations due to remuneration and perks.

An autonomous workforce

Letting your workforce the power to work remotely lets them operate in such a way that best suits their requirements. Today, Millennials are extremely particular about when and how they would prefer to work, be it any field. When it comes to a formal and rigid work setup, all employees need to follow the protocols.

More productivity

Employees working from the comfort of their homes are more productive and efficient than those commuting to work. Based on a Canadian Life poll, remote employees have their productivity score at 7.7 and office workers at 6.5. Even a Stanford study shows that remote workers are 13 percent more productive than those working in a traditional office.

Conclusion

Working from home is beneficial for both employees and businesses. The workforce can choose to work according to their convenience and flexibility provided they complete their tasks sans any errors and deliver on time. Enjoy work and make money without wasting time on the commute.

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Work from Anywhere Isn’T For Everyone

  • To put their findings in perspective and offer a framework for future research, the researchers emphasized the nature of a patent examiner’s work, which requires little coordination with co-workers on a daily basis. Examiners perform their work independently, adhering to the same bes…
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Looking Ahead

  • As some companies move to adopt broader telecommute policies, others such as Yahoo! have publicly retreated from allowing workers to perform their jobs away from headquarters. Companies have cited the need for office “face time” and the benefits of spontaneous interaction among reasons to avoid remote work, even for highly skilled, autonomous employees. To Choud…
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About The Author

  • Kristen Senz is a writer and social media creator for Harvard Business School Working Knowledge. Ailyn Pestana, junior designer and photo coordinator at Harvard Business School, created the charts above. [Image: NoSystem Images]
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