The Many Benefits of Remote Work

Also referred to as telecommuting (which is a relatively dated term), or working from home, Remote work describes a working style that allows professionals to work in environments outside of traditional work environments. Simply put, work that doesn’t require an employee to commute into an office or place of business is considered remote. Contrary to the “working from home” alias, working remotely doesn’t necessarily have to take place at home. In fact, many people who work remotely prefer to work from coffee shops, coworking spaces, or libraries, or outdoors. For most, as long as they have internet access, they can work from almost anywhere. Not surprisingly, there are many benefits that accompany this working style. The following will highlight some of the most important benefits of remote work.

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The beauty of remote work is that it allows us to work in whichever ways fit best into our lives. Whether for you this means setting up a home office, heading into your actual workplace for a couple hours a week, or becoming a regular at a local cafe or coworking hub, with true remote work, the choice is yours. As if that weren’t enough, here are a few more remote working advantages.

Learn More: Want to Work From Home? Discover States With the Most Remote Jobs

Scheduling flexibility

Though many of us will always have deadlines to meet and video calls to join, the way you choose to budget your time while working remotely is entirely up to you. As long as you’re meeting your deadlines, you can do your work whenever it best fits into your day. Work-life balance is an important concept we hear a lot about these days, and this ability to plan your day to suit both your work and personal life opens your schedule up to accommodate things like doctor appointments, lunch dates, kids’ school events, and a barrage of other things that typically take place during regular business hours. A huge advantage to having the flexibility to set your own hours is the freedom to begin your workday at any hour. While it benefits many remote employees to at least loosely dictate how many work hours they complete each day, whether it’s the traditional eight or a more leisurely six, unlike with most office jobs the workday doesn’t have to run from 9:00 a.m. -5:00 p.m. Make it 11:00 a.m. -7:00 p.m., or noon-8:00 p.m. (or if you’re a night owl, even later!) Lastly, not being subject to a strict schedule could also afford a remote employee the time to continue their education.

Learn more: Myths About Work-Life Balance

Working from (almost) anywhere

We mentioned it at the beginning, and it’s worth discussing further — one of the key benefits of remote work is undeniably the freedom to work from just about anywhere. Although this includes the option to set up and work from a home office, you aren’t limited to the confines of your home. You can get work done while you travel, during a relative’s doctor appointment, or even, if you have tethering capabilities, out in the (semi) wilderness. This can particularly come in handy if you live with a partner or spouse who has to relocate for work, or you’re considering leave. Not having to choose between the job you love and a person you love is something to be grateful for.

No more commute-related stress

Remote employees tend to feel less stressed than their office-working peers. The absence of commuting alone is almost guaranteed to improve your mental (and physical) health. Commutes as short as 10 minutes can have multiple pernicious effects on a person’s health including high blood pressure and decreased overall happiness. Unfortunately, the percentage of Americans who commute longer than 90 minutes each day almost doubled between 1990 and 2000. Remote work, and the freedom not to travel to get your job done can pretty much eliminate the mental stressors that accompany being stuck in traffic, avoiding accidents, and worrying about being late. Not to mention the physical stressors sitting in a car for prolonged periods each day can cause, including back pain, headaches, and fatigue.

Saving money

The most obvious savings here are those related to commuting on a daily basis. You’ll notice the difference going without those weekly gas costs makes immediately. Car maintenance and parking fees also add up quickly. Car stuff alone is a substantial saving. Many jobs require employees to dress a certain way while on the job. While it’s important to own some business attire, not having to maintain a full dress-code-friendly work wardrobe can save you lots in the financial department. Remote work comes with the benefit of no longer needing to keep a separate work wardrobe. Lastly, remote work will inevitably save you money on food costs. Instead of stopping for coffee on the way to the office, then going out for lunch each day, you can easily eat at home, and even make your own coffee.

Creating the perfect work environment

There’s undoubtedly an unlimited number of ways to be distracted in a home work environment — TV, chores, kids, pets, plants, etc. This is why taking advantage of a customizable workspace is crucial. Get a chair that offers excellent back support, or use your kitchen breakfast bar as a standing desk. Sit near a window with a nice view and fresh air, or convert a walk-in closet to an office so you can close the door on it at the end of the day.  Play relaxing background music. Or maybe you’re more productive in a room with muted lighting and silence. The beauty of working remotely is instead of trying to adjust your work style to suit the environment, you can tailor your work environment to suit your needs. Once you figure out your perfect setup, you’ll be able to benefit from the absence of coworker interruptions, ringing phones, office politics, uncomfortable office furniture, and noise pollution.

Learn more: 9 Ways to Make Flex Work Work for You

Increasing job opportunities

This one applies less to the individual employee, and more to the workforce as a whole. Often, people living in rural areas or areas that are struggling economically are at a disadvantage when it comes to finding work. Most new jobs aren’t in rural areas, and economic regulation, increased global competition, and automation and mechanization have been forcing jobs out of rural communities for decades. Disabilities may also make finding and keeping work more difficult. Remote work can help increase the chances of finding a job in these situations.

Communicating more easily

It’s typically an adjustment for employees to move from a social workplace to a remote one, even a challenge for some. The silence, and absence of the office buzz can be strange at first. However, although it may sound unlikely, this lack of constant communication can actually improve the quality of your communication. Without the constant chatting and almost forced interaction that accompanies working in an office setting, we’re encouraged to reach out and communicate with exactly the person we need to talk to, when we need to, about important matters instead of wasting time with pleasantries and office politics.

Employers benefiting

Remote work isn’t only advantageous for employees. Employers can reap the benefits of allowing their employees to work remotely as well. Remote-enabled organizations can reduce on-site costs significantly in areas like travel reimbursement, office space, computers, and other equipment. In fact, depending on the size of the company, it can save up to $11,000 per remote employee, possibly more. And that only accounts for an employee who works remotely 50% of the time. Additionally, offering remote work makes a business more competitive. Not only would around 40% of employees surveyed before remote work became commonplace take a pay cut in exchange for more flexible work options, the freedom to work remotely boosts employee morale and productivity, which inevitably maximizes a company’s efficiency and the quality of products or services they offer. Greater diversity in the workplace is easy to achieve when geographic or economic obstacles are eliminated. The ability for hiring managers to screen, interview, and select prospective employees in a completely virtual environment increases the hiring pool exponentially, mitigates skills gaps that might result from demographics, and provides people with employment opportunities where none existed to them before.

 

There are many benefits of remote work for both employees and employers. Remote work can help relieve stress and increase communication while also opening up more job opportunities.

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