Working in an office daily can be a real hassle for many of today's employees. Traffic on the commute to work, severe weather, workplace drama and politics, poorly designed workspaces, and hovering bosses can all make today's workplaces feel just as oppressive as they did decades ago. To make matters worse? The worldwide pandemic. Sure, we've drifted away from cubicles and toward open floor plans. We've replaced our typewriters and desktop computers with smartphones, laptops, and tablets, but the nature of work hasn't changed.
According to a study, 41 percent of global businesses offer some form of telecommuting. Working from home is becoming more popular, and it can boost both employer and employee productivity. Aside from the obvious benefit of not dealing with public transportation, letting your employees work remotely may significantly help them get much more work done.
Employees, particularly millennials and the soon-to-be-born generation Z, want more freedom and the opportunity to work remotely at least once or twice per week. However, some companies have hesitations. Enabling employees to work remotely generally requires a high level of trust on the part of company owners. It also necessarily involves highly motivated employees who believe in its mission and their responsibilities within it. That can be a difficult task for many organizations. Remote work could answer many age-old issues, including employee dissatisfaction, turnover rates, and sluggish employee productivity. Remote work may be just what your company needs when combined with an employee evaluating procedure, clear workplace policies, IT infrastructure monitoring, and other commonly available strategies for achieving employer-employee trust.
Let's look at some of the most compelling reasons for allowing your employees to work remotely:
They won't have to commute.
Without having to spend time stuck in traffic, your team members can wake up and walk over to their customized workstation to get the day started, resulting in much more specific availability on both sides. They also save fuel costs and public transportation.
There won't be a need for office space.
Working from home entails having no workplace or, at the very least, having much fewer workspaces. If you wouldn't want to go completely remote, try staggering your team members' remote days to save office space.
They'll be more productive.
Productivity increases when employees are happy with their working conditions. Today's economy is focused on innovation, which can only happen when highly collaborative members are directed at achieving your company's objectives rather than deciding when and how to give up.
They can work from anywhere.
Not only will your employees save time getting to and from work to the workplace, but they will also be able to work from wherever they feel most comfortable. This will undoubtedly boost company morale while also allowing you to save money on commercial space.
You'll save on furnishing costs.
The cost of office equipment, fixtures, and facilities is high. Furnishing a complete workstation configuration can effortlessly cost a small business several thousand dollars per employee. In a traditional workplace, you'll also need to finish, supply, and provide conference and meeting rooms, bathrooms, breakrooms, and a slew of other areas. With the right managed IT infrastructure, this does not have to be the scenario. Businesses can keep a physical space for business and group collaborative efforts while leaving employees to complete tasks.
Speaking of furnishings, it would cost businesses a lot less to provide their remote workers something that would promote productivity and good health, such as a sit-stand desk. Brands like FlexiSpot offer enterprise discounts or special prices for bulk orders for companies that provide their employees standing desks, ergonomic chairs, or standing desk converters as a perk or part of an employee wellness program. A win-win, employee well-being is in the spotlight for innovations such as ergonomic solutions for home and office while saving businesses on other costs. FlexiSpot also offers shipping and delivery directly to employee addresses, free trial and warranty, flexible payment arrangements, and expedited shipping service. To talk to a friendly FlexiSpot associate about their products and services, you may click here!
They will be more efficient.
Many recognize millennials as the most significant contributor to the overall generation, with more emphasis on efficiency than any previous generation, as per numerous studies. We all know that conventional office working arrangements are ineffective. Some remote employees are 20% to 25% more efficient than traditional office employees.
You won't have to provide them office supplies.
Nobody enjoys placing bulk orders for office supplies. By allowing employees to work from home, you can eliminate many of these unnecessary expenses.
It could be an alternative compensation approach.
Over a third of millennial employees would prefer to work at home over being paid. Many old-school managers may think this is a charade to get them to slack off. Still, many millennials already spend extra shifts and see remote work as a way to turn valuable hours, such as commuting, dealing with office controversy, and pulling away from other office setbacks into productive time.
They will love independence and freedom.
Traditional office setups reflect traditional ideas about office hierarchical order. The bosses are given corner rooms, while the office grunts doing the necessary work are crammed into congested cubicles or heartless rows of workstations. This is an ethical and productivity disaster that must be ended. No one tells an employee how to work most comfortably and effectively in a remote-work environment. Employees may be more productive if they have a sense of independence.
You can hire from anywhere and the best talents.
You can hire the best employees from everywhere in the world because you are not limited by the geographical limitations of an in-person workplace. Being adaptable in providing online interviews and shift patterns will help you stand out from the crowd.
This gives older employees continuous opportunities.
Older employees frequently have a knowledge base that can only be acquired through years of experience. Letting these precious employees leave would be a waste of years of wisdom that could have been monetized. Enabling older teammates and leaders to work remotely can provide them with a more comfortable option for contributing to the company rather than the mundane daily grind.
This will prepare you for the future of business.
As millennials and a new generation join the workforce, many enjoy working from home and favor organizations that permit remote work over those that do not. According to one study, if they could make their current employer more dynamic, 64 percent of millennials would like to work remotely occasionally, and 66 percent would want to shift their working time.
They will take fewer sick leaves.
Colds and stomach cramps make having to work unpleasant, but working remotely? Not too bad. Employees who are only moderately ill can still get their tasks completed most of the time if they don't have to go into the workplace. Another perk? There will be no transmission of diseases.
You could get good PR.
Yahoo! announced the end of its work-from-home scheme, but most of the responses were negative. Try implementing a work-from-home initiative; you might get some good press out of it.
Employees will be more loyal and highly likely won't quit.
Almost no one who has the option to work remotely would ever consider giving it up. Giving your employees this opportunity will make them particularly loyal to your business. Promoting a healthier work-life balance will undoubtedly boost employees' job satisfaction within your company. Keeping top employees is critical in this day and age, and providing them with remote working possibilities is one of the best methods.
Conclusion
Before permitting any of your workforces to work at home, develop a strict policy. Determine ahead of time which positions are qualified for teleworking and include them in your strategy. Keeping your remote employees involved and feeling like they are team members to keep them motivated and satisfied is critical. Many communication platforms are available that make information sharing and collaboration and connecting with your employees simpler and more efficient than ever before.