Last Updated on March 22, 2024
Let’s explore the rising adoption of remote work.
Working from home has a poor reputation, but more and more businesses are implementing work-from-home rules.
Many employers thought that their employees would be too easily distracted at home, where their managers couldn’t monitor their direct reports.
A decade ago, remote work was extremely uncommon. Working from home was usually only possible on a case-by-case basis to fit the needs of unique families.
Teleconferencing and telework technology, on the other hand, have progressed to the point that certain businesses can now operate with totally remote staff.
It’s not unusual for companies to allow their employees to work from home once or twice a week.
The Covid-19 pandemic caused a major upheaval in the global work economy in 2020. While remote work used to be a luxury offered by select employers, it has become the new normal for most.
70% of the workforce will be working from home at least five days a month by 2025, according to estimates.
While 2020 may be seen as the year of remote work, we believe it is only the beginning, as the trend is expected to continue.
History of Remote Work
The Covid-19 pandemic boosted remote work, but it isn’t new.
People traded from home before the internet. Mass work gatherings emerged during the Industrial Revolution. This shifted from solo home-based work to today’s rat race with commutes and offices.
The digital age then arrived. Workers used UNIX and DOS before the internet’s 1980s debut. Connecting networks birthed a new connected world and work methods.
IBM pioneered modern remote work. By 1983, they expanded from five to 2,000 remote employees. Call center staff, mainly phone-based, began working from home.
Telecommuting surged by 115% in the last decade. This growth will persist in a post-pandemic society. It represents the future of remote work.
The entrepreneurial era began in 1999. The first website launched alongside garage startups. Entrepreneurs sought flexibility, wealth, and fulfillment. They worked from small spaces until securing investors.
Many chose flexible businesses, letting them work from anywhere. This trend has roots in the past and continues today.
Read: Mental Health and Work: Strategies for Managing Workplace Stress
Benefits of Remote Work on Employees
When the COVID-19 outbreak forced many organizations around the world to adopt a work-from-home policy, there was widespread concern about whether employees would be as productive working from home.
This was compounded by the necessity to give workers the tools they required to be productive while working remotely.
However, as many of these companies discovered a few months later, workers could be just as effective, if not more so, working from home.
Even more remarkable was the realization by many businesses that allowing employees to work from home cut operating costs.
Here are eight reasons why working from home boosts employee productivity while also providing employers with intriguing never-before-seen prospects.
Less commute stress
Most professionals, especially those who have a two-way commute to and from work, spend a significant amount of time stuck in traffic.
Workers who reside in heavily populated places have it even worse.
To go to work early, people must leave home as early as 4 a.m., enduring severe traffic while still dealing with the pressures of a typical workweek, before returning home and navigating even worse traffic.
The time spent stuck in traffic reduces the amount of time available for productive work. However, one of the drawbacks of going to and from work is losing time commuting.
More than 30 minutes of daily one-way travel has been linked to higher stress and anxiety levels.
The time you save by skipping the commute can be spent on things other than work, such as obtaining more sleep in the morning, spending more time with family, working out, or having a healthy breakfast.”
Location becomes insignificant
Employees can work from any location, which is another advantage of working remotely.
People are not obligated to live in a city that does not meet their standards or preferences, which reduces unnecessary travel.
Remote working helps partners to keep their jobs or at least simplify the transition period if one spouse is required to be based or assigned in a specific place.
It doesn’t matter if you live on top of a mountain or by the sea if you work remotely. You can work from anywhere on the globe as long as you have a good internet connection.
Comfortable and customizable workspace
One of the benefits of remote working is that you can arrange your workplace or workstation in any way you wish.
If you’re messy, you won’t have to worry about your coworkers complaining. And if you’re the office’s neat freak, you can concentrate on your own space.
Many people are more productive when they are in their surroundings.
If you work from home as a telecommuter or freelancer, you can put your desk where you want it, close the door if you want to, and listen to music if it helps you express your ideas.
Money savings
Working from home saves workers a lot of money that they would otherwise spend if they had to go to work every day.
Fuel, car maintenance, transportation, parking fees, a professional outfit, out-of-pocket lunches, and other expenses can all be cut back or eliminated.
These small sums add up to more money in your pocket.
Increased productivity and performance
Working from home usually means fewer interruptions, less noise, and fewer (or more productive) meetings.
Remote workers often have more time and fewer distractions because they don’t have to commute, which leads to higher productivity—a big benefit of working from home for both employees and businesses.
When done correctly, remote work empowers employees and businesses to concentrate on what matters most: results.
Conclusion
Remote working is in line with a slew of recent cultural shifts made possible by technological breakthroughs.
With these new freedoms and options, we must consider how the columns of work-life are reconstructed around our fast-vanishing office walls.
To establish a ‘workplace’ that benefits both today’s companies and tomorrow’s workforce.
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