Working from home has long been a sought-after luxury. Still, it wasn't until the last decade that it became a possibility for many employees, especially in the past year when COVID-19 erupted. While working at home was long considered a status symbol, more people are now considering switching. In reality, the shift to remote work is taking place on a large scale. It is an excellent opportunity for both people and organizations to experience the benefits of working remotely.
A remote business can maintain a physical presence by opening an office. One advantage of remote working is that workers drop a couple of days in the workplace and the rest of the time at home, ensuring that everyone gets in touch face-to-face. And, in the aftermath of the COVID-19 issue, this has become the "new normal" for many workers. Coworkers have joined freelancers in the flexibility of not having somebody breathing down their neck scrutinizing their work, being able to set their own timetables, and conducting time-saving video meetings via the intranet portal.
Benefits for Employers
Working from home has numerous advantages for both businesses and people, ranging from fostering a better work/life balance to enhancing productivity. Let's have a look at a few of them down below.
Cost
Even if you continue to rent an office space, employees can hot desks to save space. Depending on whether the business is entirely virtual or not, companies can save on:
- Rent
- Utilities such as water, electricity, Wi-Fi
- Provision of a coffee or meals
- Equipment
- Cleaning
- Building maintenance
- Furniture
There is no need to purchase pricey tech equipment if you delegate to freelancers because many remote workers already use their own equipment.
Productivity and Motivation
While productivity levels vary, 83 percent of employees believe they do not need a workplace or office to be productive, and two-thirds of companies report greater productivity for teleworkers than in-office employees. Encouraging your workers to work from home is an excellent method to boost productivity and production.
Productivity is critical to a business's progress. And more productive workers translate to increased performance and profit. Employees who work from home are more likely to be productive since it is in their best interests to complete tasks efficiently and without wasting time. Similarly, a brief intranet meeting is significantly more effective than everyone running down to a conference room, the meeting taking 15 minutes to start and then dragging over its time. These advantages of virtual meetings make employees more productive because they have more time to complete tasks.
Employee Retention and Loyalty
Employees are much more likely to stay if they are comfortable and productive. They are more likely to experience an appreciation for and enthusiasm for their profession and contribute to the positive company culture. Any supervisor understands how damaging turnover is to a company; remote can help to reduce it.
According to a remote workers survey, individuals who work remotely feel much happier and more valued than workers in all work arrangements. According to the results of another study, 28 percent of employees regard their manager's decision to allow them to work at home as a measure of trust. Employees who feel trusted by their employers are more committed and dedicated. According to research, 76 percent of respondents believe that having workplace flexibility will make them more devoted to their employment.
Positivity
Is it a smart idea for teams to work from anywhere? We feel so because it has the potential to improve communication and collaboration. Team members can communicate with one another via a sophisticated company intranet, making it appear as if they are in the workplace nonetheless. Working productively together in this approach can produce positive feelings and drive. This can result in employees going above and beyond when you need them to work extra hours or provide an impressive presentation. Remote employees are also friendlier than office workers, making them terrific brand ambassadors.
Diversity
When businesses require employees to drive long distances every day, they can only reach prospects within a specific radius. Organizations that accept remote working, on the other hand, offer their services to a much more diverse workforce. Allowing working from home makes opportunities available to people of different backgrounds, ethnicities, skill sets, and impairments who may be unable to go to a workplace.
Technology
Employers have no reason not to take advantage of the benefits of a virtual team with modern tech. Employees will have access to all the apps they need to complete their tasks with an internet connection and a robust digital workplace system. Collaboration suites, messaging services, task management software, your intranet network, and many other digital collaboration tools are all available to help any remote worker better their work. And there's no reason to be at work. A modern intranet can even integrate employee information and social media apps, making it more appealing.
Absenteeism
According to surveys, 24 organizations offer to work from home as a way to reduce employee absences. When employees work remotely, they are far less likely to call in sick with minor illnesses. With some ailments, the idea of going into the workplace is unsettling, but working remotely isn't that bad. If an employee feels unwell, they are more inclined to keep working if they can work from home. They are not forced to travel if they are unwell and therefore can rest if necessary. Anyone who has a long commute is far more inclined to call in sick than anyone who can just move from one room to another. This includes time off for events or appointments.
Talent Pool
When it comes to remote employment, company owners have a larger pool of candidates to choose from. Recruits are not required to be local and can be made from anywhere in the world, based on time zones. The physical location of a profession does not define talented individuals in remote work. If you want the finest Website Designer, you don't have to limit your search to your area or country; you may extend your network globally. It is an element of strategic placement in a global market. This increases the likelihood of finding workers with particular abilities, saving money on training. Another advantage of hiring remote workers is that the organization saves money on relocation charges, ranging into hundreds or thousands of dollars. And because they've come of age with a technology that allows them to do so, today's millennials virtually expect to be able to work remotely.
Workplace Politics
People will always instigate or be subjected to hardship. There will always be favorites and dislikes, weeping, and fury in the workplace. And it is up to the management and human resources professionals to solve these issues for the company's sake. Employees are more efficient and less bothered about petty issues that do not even have to concern them in the first place.
Time and Communication
In today's hectic world, time is essential, and we never seem to get enough of it. Working from home decreases office gossip time, delay, and time squandered in the deli, in addition to less time spent commuting. Timing also refers to when a business is open. If a company employs individuals from all over the world, it can be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Employees who begin working remotely may find it unusual at first. They aren't used to the stillness and lack of office chatter. However, as people start to communicate to who they just have to, whenever they need to, without wasting so much time, this might inspire more excellent communication. It can also encourage employees to get to know one another through messaging services and conversations and figure out how they might help. Communication improves as a result of remote working since it encourages collaboration.
Ergonomics As Company Benefit
As more and more businesses allow their employees to work from home permanently in this ongoing pandemic, they're also looking into providing other perks such as standing desks for these workers to safely and productively finish tasks even while working away from the workplace. Employees themselves request such benefits, as standing desks help keep back pain at bay and promote movement throughout the day or an entire shift. FlexiSpot is one trusted company that can fulfill this for businesses and organizations and offer advantages such as installment payment plans, direct shipping and delivery to employee addresses, or extend free trial and warranty.
Click here to see FlexiSpot's wide range of height-adjustable standing desks, ergonomic office chairs, and many more!
