Most of us have had the opportunity to learn more about working remotely over the past year than we ever dreamed. While working from home has its challenges, there are many advantages to working remotely that may cause some employers to consider it long after the pandemic is gone.
This article will discuss seven employee advantages to working remotely and why some may want to make it a permanent plan.
Save Time and Stress On Your Commute
Nothing quite beats walking from your kitchen to your, well, kitchen table as a morning commute. Not only are you close to your morning coffee if you need a fill-up, but you also don’t have to spend hours battling traffic or stressing out if you’ll get to work on time. You’ll also save money on transportation and car expenses by working from home.
After a year of working from home, it will be hard to convince many people to go back to travelling hours every day to get to and home from work.
Better Work/Life Balance
While working at home with a family can be challenging (hello three-year-old interrupting an OKR Consultants Washington meeting), once you’ve figured out how to divide space and time, working from home can offer the possibility of a much better work/life balance.
Even being able to pop out of a meeting to take your kids to the park or your dog for a walk means you see your family much more often during the day than you would, working outside the home. While many parents report working more nights to catch up on work, there are significant advantages to being around your family on a regular basis.
Eat A Warm Lunch And Still Save Money
We all know that bringing lunch to work is a great way to save money on expensive take-out food, but now you can have a hot meal and still stay on budget. Cook extra the night before so you’ve got delicious leftovers for lunch, or fix up a quick lunch while you finish your meeting (on mute, of course).
Save Money on Work Wardrobe
Not only will employees save money on their lunch, but they’ll need to spend less on a wardrobe by working from home. You may need a business suit (or at least the top half) for the odd meeting here and there, but you can actually opt and search for a “storage facility near me” to expand your wardrobe because let’s face it — being presentable at work (home) is important.
Makes Working More Accessible For Employees
Working remotely opens up a world of possibilities and allows workplaces to be much more inclusive of different backgrounds, abilities and geographic regions. By supporting employees to work from home, where they feel comfortable, it also means companies have an easier time attracting a diverse workforce that isn’t limited to living or travelling to one place.
Employees with disabilities may also have the support and systems at home that allow them to feel comfortable and do their job. Working remotely removes many barriers to inclusion and supports those living with disabilities.
Freedom To Live Anywhere
Working remotely means that employees can live anywhere in the world where they can access an internet connection. This allows people to live in rural areas or close to family and friends instead of wherever their company happens to be located.
This flexibility is a tremendous advantage to employees who love to travel or who need to be close to family for caregiving. Working remotely also allows employees to live in less expensive locations or wherever they choose, instead of costly urban centres.
Smaller Environmental Impact
Working from home is also great for the environment, contributing to cleaner air, cleaner water, less garbage in our landfills. People working from home means all those cars off the roads, not polluting the air. It also means companies save money on office space, electricity, paper and all the other costs of a physical space.
Employees working at home can also make choices at home, like working with managed IT services in Toronto to make their working conditions more sustainable and environmentally friendly.
The research says that remote working is on the rise and maybe here to stay after the pandemic has passed. Luckily, working remotely is a good situation for employers and employees.