The traditional 9 to 5 working day is slowly becoming a thing of the past. Not only are more people choosing to go into business for themselves and do their own hours, many more are asking their employers for permission to work remotely at least a few days a week.
In its early days, working from home was seen as a way of slacking off, but there could be more benefits to this style of work than you might think.
Employees are less stressed
As a business owner, you might have observed some of your employees getting overwhelmed, getting sick from stress, or just slowly becoming less productive towards the end of the work week. You might have wondered if you were working your employees too hard, but brushed it aside in favour of meeting your business goals. If you introduce remote working, you don’t have to compromise between one or the other. Giving employees the freedom to choose their work environment increases their motivation, and allows them to find a work/life balance that suits them. As long as all the deadlines are met, there’s really no reason to complain.
You can work anywhere
Just because it’s known as working from home, doesn’t mean that you have to actually sit in your house all day. Take your laptop and charger to the nearest wifi hotspot and work wherever you want. If you need slightly more than just your laptop to work, then check out Van Racking UK for the best mobile filing solutions, pack all your documents and office necessities into your car, and drive until you find a place that inspires you. Your wifi issues are sorted if you have a portable router keeping you connected.
It saves money
When a remote working option is introduced at the office, everyone saves money. Employees save money on commuting to and from work, on professional suits to wear every day, and on food to eat during their breaks. Not to mention the effects it will have on their mood, as studies have shown commuters have a lower life satisfaction, lower levels of happiness and higher anxiety on average than non- commuters. If enough employees take the option to telecommute to work, then employees can also benefit by moving to a smaller office building. Why spend the majority of your budget on a large building when you can easily conduct your business from a small office?
Happier, healthier, more productive
Everyone has different ways of becoming productive; some work best with loud music, others in silence, some with their friends, and others feel they do their best work when they’re wearing comfortable clothing instead of restrictive suits. Working from home gives everyone the opportunity to be creative in their ideal work environment, so they are more productive and less stressed about meeting deadlines. With so much freedom, it’s not surprising that a Canada Life survey found that homeworkers ranked their productivity as 7.7/10 compared to 6.5/10 for office workers.
