Remote work – the buzzword of today’s work industry. It is talked about in all work-related discussions and platforms (looking at you LinkedIn).
However, it is a buzzword for a reason. Remote work was the solution to the monotonous 9-5, consisting of stressful mornings, long commutes, and tired evenings. Suddenly people did not have to commute, did not have to be physically at the office, did not have to spend money on lunch or parking, and could instead telecommute.
This meant location independence, such as working from home, a better work-life balance, increased productivity, and many other benefits.
Even though remote work was in a way largely introduced during the pandemic, it is still one of the few positive things left of it.
Before the pandemic, almost no one would imagine being allowed to work from home even when your office was across the street. Similarly, employers would not be willing to give their employees autonomy and trust them to do the same work from miles away.
But the pandemic proved wrong.
It proved that working remotely can be highly effective. So effective, that its benefits outweigh the benefits of office-based work.
Let’s get into the benefits.
Benefits of Remote Work for Employees
It is especially employees who benefit from remote work in the first place. As expected, the top benefits refer to time and location independence.
1. Flexibility of time
In a research conducted by Buffer, 67 percent of employees reported their top benefit being flexibility of time.
And it is no surprise. When working remotely employees save time. So much that it can equal saving 11 workdays per year on average, according to Global Workplace Analytics.
When working remotely, it is especially the lack of commute that saves time for most employees. Instead of driving for an hour or two, or add to that waiting for the bus, employees can start work on time or even earlier.
Saving time on commute benefits the employee by giving them more time for personal life. In the morning, they can have a morning routine before work, and in the evening they can switch to their personal life right after finishing work. Some will devote that time to having adequate sleep while others to their hobbies.
2. Flexibility to choose location
In the same research by Buffer, 62 percent report the second benefit being flexibility of location. Instead of being bound to the office, employees can work from anywhere they want. While some like to work from home, others prefer to work while travelling.
Imagine the physical freedom that location independence gives. People no longer have to move cities to pursue a well-paying job. And those who like to travel don’t have to give up on it because of work.
In a nutshell, remote work enables people to experience life. It solves the modern problem of living to work and enables working to live.
3. Savings
Working remotely is beneficial for finances as well. Imagine the amount of money that employees spend on lunch, gas, and parking when commuting to the office. However, when working remotely, it is estimated that they save around $600 and $6,000 per year by just not going to the office.
It is estimated that employees spend from $2000 to $5000 on lunch and commuting. But when working remotely, they’ll save that amount.
These savings benefit the environment too but we’ll talk about it a little after.
4. Improved physical and mental health
When working from home, employees are less likely to undergo stress and illnesses. It is because when working remotely employees can feel more comfortable, can work out during breaks, and can spend more time with family and with themselves.
Cause, let’s admit it, in the office, you can’t get up and do some stretching. Well, technically you can, but you most likely won’t. However, at home, you can do whatever whenever you want, cause you feel at home.
When it comes to food, eating homemade food is much healthier than buying it, so that’s an extra benefit for health.
Other than that, employees can take care of their mental health by taking a walk and being with their pets and family.
Benefits of Remote Work for Employers
1. Profitability
According to Global Workplace Analytics, employers can save $11,000 per year on average per half-time telecommuter. This is mainly due to saving on real estate costs, bills, reduced absenteeism and turnover.
When the company has a remote first policy, they will cut back on having a big office as most people will be working from home. Of course, it is still important to have an office for occasional meetups, or for those employees who prefer to work from the office.
2. Increased productivity
Coming from the benefits of employees, it is obvious that employee wellness is going to influence company wellness as well.
Remember that healthy and happy employees are productive employees.
Individual productivity eventually leads to high performance across the company. And as a result, company productivity rises as well.
While we’re at it, read about tools for making remote work effective.
Other Benefits of Working Remotely
1. Reduction of carbon footprint
It is no news that transportation is the largest source of CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions.
Imagine if it were to reduce twice in size, how large the effect would be. That’s what remote work does. It is estimated that transitioning to remote work can lead to a reduction of 75% in driving which in its turn can largely reduce emissions.
2. Reduced waste
Not working from the office means using less plastic, less paper, and less waste in general. In the same way, staying and working from home means less usage of plastic, fuel, fast food, and other disposable products in general.
3. Inclusion
Remote work is a great way to focus on the results instead of the how and when of employees. It is the result that matters not the way employees look, do things, or any other personal characteristics.
Moreover, as remote work enables work from anywhere in the world, everyone has an equal chance of being hired. In addition to these benefits, the use of a remote desktop management tool can further enhance the efficiency of remote work. This software allows employees to access their work computers securely from anywhere, ensuring seamless collaboration and troubleshooting, even when they are miles away from the office.
Other than location independence, there is also the matter of asynchronous work. Employees who need more cognitive processing time, can also largely benefit from remote work. If a company supports asynchronous work processes, they can do work at their own pace and provide equally good results.
Conclusion
Remote work is revolutionizing the way we work and the way we view work. It makes the work process enjoyable and suitable to our preferences. It is especially good for relieving the monotony of the usual 9-5. As we discussed above, the main benefits are flexible time and location independence for employees and profitability for employers. However, the benefits are so many that they extend to the environment as well.
If you have made up your mind to go remote, get WebWork Time Tracker and enjoy the process of working remotely.
Check also: Pros and Cons of Working Independently