Why I will never work from an office again

Remote work has become increasingly popular in recent years, and the COVID-19 pandemic initially only accelerated this trend. Since the decrease in concern over COVID there has been a well-documented culture shift back toward onsite office work or hybrid models. I have personally been working from home since May 2019, and never intend to go back to working in a corporate office. As these companies sway one way or the other, I feel it’s more important than ever to understand the benefits of remote work for both employees and employers.

Increased productivity

According to a study by Airtasker, remote workers are on average 20% more productive than their office-based counterparts. This can be attributed to a variety of factors, including reduced distractions and the ability to work during peak energy times.

From my own personal experience I’ve found that working remotely has definitely increased my productivity, but not always due to less distractions (as we all know, the home isn’t a magical place free from distractions). I feel that my productivity has improved due to significantly less cognitive fatigue.

When I worked in an office and had to commute, I would start every day having to make endless tiny decisions prior to even reaching my desk: “What will I wear today? Should I bring a gym bag? Do I bring my lunch or buy it? Can I afford to buy it? Should I put on makeup? Do I have time for (insert task here) before catching my train? Should I take the bus from the station or walk? Should I take the elevator or the stairs? Do I eat one of these donuts in the employee kitchen? Yes, no, yes I want one, no I really shouldn’t.”

Making all of these tiny decisions wears out our cognitive energy. This isn’t a new idea. Successful people care a lot about preserving their cognitive energy- one of the most famous examples being Steve Jobs wearing the same outfit every single day to help him save his energy for more important decisions.

Improved work-life balance

Remote work allows employees to better balance their work and personal lives. A survey by Buffer found that 99% of remote workers would like to continue working remotely at least some of the time. Additionally, 43% of remote workers reported that they get more sleep since starting remote work, which can lead to increased productivity and better overall health.

For me this is incredibly true, and the scale doesn’t always tip in favor of my personal life either. I am a night owl, and I often spend time burning the midnight oil after putting my son to bed because that is when I feel most awake and creative. I am not a morning person, so I like to spend part of my mornings having breakfast with my family and getting outside to get me in the right headspace for my day.

The ability to be near loved ones, run errands, and be home for deliveries and pets is essential to reduced stress. In turn this makes for happier employees who really want to keep their flexible jobs. Plus there’s no match for beating work stress than a snuggle with one of my dogs or my toddler to put me back in a positive frame of mind.

Cost savings

Remote work can save both employees and employers money. Employees can save on transportation costs, while employers can save on office space and equipment. According to Global Workplace Analytics, employers can save an average of $11,000 per year for every employee who works remotely half of the time. That’s $22,000 per year saved for a full time remote worker. That adds up fast.

The same is true for employees, which I can confirm from my own experience. When adding up all my commuting expenses I save about $4,149.96 per year (just on gas and public transit fees alone) by working from home. That doesn’t even take into account the cost of eating lunch out when I didn’t have time to pack one, or having to purchase random odds and ends (bandaids, tampons, Aspirin, etc.) because I’d forgotten to leave them at my desk.

These numbers also don’t account for the cost of absenteeism and employee turnover. I know I am a lot less likely to take a sick day when working remotely. If I have a headache, I take some pain meds and a quick nap, then get back to work. If I’m having a poor mental health day, I tend to usually improve by the afternoon. If I were working from an office 20+ miles from my home, these would turn into entire days off for illness. Additionally, I’m much more likely to want to keep a remote job than an office job. I’ve been working in my industry for about 8 years. I spent the first 4 years getting burnt out on office-only companies and changing jobs every ~1.3 years. The second 4 years I have worked at a single remote job the entire time.

Access to a wider talent pool

Remote work allows companies to hire the best talent from anywhere in the world, rather than being limited to the local talent pool. This can lead to increased innovation and creativity within the company.

As the title of this article and the cited statistics indicate, many people will no longer be accepting roles in offices, myself included. If I were to go on LinkedIn and start hunting for a new job, my first order of business would be to filter out anything that isn’t 100% remote. I don’t care what your benefits are or what your in-office culture is like. Nothing your company can offer is as good as remote work. Nothing.

Environmental benefits

Remote work can also have environmental benefits. A study by Global Workplace Analytics found that if those who could work remotely did so just half the time, it could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 54 million tons per year. Additionally, a study by Breathe London showed that when people began working from home en mass in 2020 levels of nitrogen dioxide, fell 20–24% in central London. This is extremely significant for all of us considering that more people globally die from air pollution compared to malaria and HIV/AIDS combined, according to a report from The Guardian. Any company who is serious about cutting their emissions should be considering remote work as part of that strategy.

Remote work offers many benefits for both employees and employers. From increased productivity and improved work-life balance to cost savings and environmental benefits. It’s no wonder why remote work is becoming increasingly popular with employees. As more companies move away from remote work policies, one has to wonder exactly what their strategy is. It’s important that they genuinely consider the potential benefits and make the necessary changes to support remote work in the long term.