The advancement of technology, along with the emergence of digitization, has paved the way for teleworking to become quite popular. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), 884,000 people worked remotely in 2008. Fast forward to 2018, exactly one decade later, and the number has jumped to 1.54 million remote workers. Today, with everyone maintaining social distance and staying at home due to the coronavirus outbreak, remote working has pretty much become the new norm. This rise in popularity should come as no surprise, given the numerous benefits of teleworking.
In the following points, we’ll briefly examine what makes remote working work, so let’s jump right in.
Enhanced Productivity
Various studies have revealed that employees are more productive in their home office than in a traditional workplace. Working from home means fewer distractions and interruptions, minimal office politics, and less stress. Plus, the absence of commuting saves you some valuable time. Teleworking also allows you to create a personalized work environment. All of this works together to provide you with comfort, convenience, and flexibility, which, in turn, allow you to have more control over your schedule, help you prioritize your tasks, and enable you to use your time productively.
Reduced Costs
Teleworking helps both employers and employees save money. Thanks to the wide availability and easy accessibility of numerous online meeting software and collaboration tools, employers can now easily supervise and manage their business online, thereby saving money on rent, maintenance, utilities, etc. Employees, on the other hand, can significantly cut their travel costs, which typically amount to a significant chunk of their monthly expenses.
Better Work-Life Balance
As established, remote working gives you better control over your daily schedule. As a result, this enables you to manage your workload alongside your personal obligations, family commitments, etc. By maintaining a better work-life balance, you can alleviate some of the home life stresses, spend more time with your loved ones, and ultimately, improve your quality of life. When an employee manages to balance work and home, they will feel more engaged and motivated to work, which, in turn, translates to increased productivity.
Increased Job Satisfaction
By eliminating the daily commute, the longer working hours at the office, and the busy lunchtimes, working from home can enhance the employees’ health and well being. When working in the comfort of their own home, employees can effectively keep work-related stress and anxiety in check, which makes them both happier and healthier. That’s why remote workers are typically less likely to experience burnout. Furthermore, studies show that teleworkers tend to take fewer sick days than office workers, probably due to the reduced exposure to germs typically found in a traditional office. The flexibility, comfort, convenience, and better work-life balance that comes with remote working all lead to satisfied employees, and as you know, a satisfied employee is a productive employee.
The advantages of teleworking don’t end here; remote working also has a positive impact on the environment. By working from home, we’re commuting less often, thereby reducing our carbon footprint and helping our environment. If there’s one takeaway from all this, it’s that the increasing popularity of remote working is not a passing trend. Teleworking is here to stay!
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