5 Reasons Why Remote Working Is Good for You and Your Employer
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Recently, in light of the decision made in 2013 by Yahoo’s CEO Marissa Mayer — to end the employee telecommuting practice within the company — telecommuting is one of the top topics in the field of business economy and operational strategies. Many companies are beginning to question their own telecommuting practice… Is it still beneficial or not really?
The idea of teleworking seems to be an invention of contemporaneity, however this way of earning a living was invented already in the 70’s. It was then when the fuel crisis in the United States caused that many employees couldn’t commute to the office. The situation forced the establishment of new relation between the employer and the worker: people started to complete their tasks at home and then sent documents to their company with a courier.
I’ve been working remotely since 2010, the year when I moved to live with my boyfriend, far away from the company’s office. Before, I never thought that telecommuting can be such an effective way of increasing your skills, while at the same time, being able to realize yourself personally and to discover new places and people. And the fact is that teleworking was never a problem for PIXERS’ CEO, Maciej Bialek, who sees it as a way to increase productivity and level of satisfaction the employees get from work. Nowadays, it’s common that even people living in the city of company’s headquarters, benefit from telework several days a month.
As researches show, teleworking leads to higher productivity, less pollution, and reduced stress. Working remotely is not a trend — it’s an attitude.
Increased Productivity + Better Efficiency
There are days in PIXERS when almost the whole office is practically deserted and no sign of human soul can be found behind the majority of desks… But it doesn’t necessarily mean that everybody decided to prolong their holidays. It’s a sign that this particular day most people decided to stay at home. It’s possible, because in PIXERS, for several days a month, everyone can work remotely. And, as you can imagine, it works perfectly well for both us and our management.
From my own experience, I can tell that the positive impact teleworking can have on an employee’s life includes:
- reduced commuting time, effort, and costs;
- increased productivity;
- better balance of work and personal responsibilities.
Telework allows to focus on one’s tasks in a comfortable environment; you can work on flexible timetable and organize yourself the way it’s best for you. Besides, cutting out the more menial tasks provides employees with an opportunity to focus on increased efficiency.
More Creative & Loyal Workers
When people are happy and relaxed, they’re also more creative. Working from anywhere in the world, they can develop their passions and get to know inspiring people. If the company respect the need of flexibility of the employees, they’re also less likely to quit (and, as we know, employee turnover isn’t a cheap enterprise).
Many workers change jobs to shorten their commute and to increase the balance within their life. Therefore, a teleworking policy can be a job perk.
Saves on Costs
People working remotely spend less — especially on gas: average commuters could put up to $1500 worth of gas money into their wallets each year. Thus, they improve their quality of life. However, not only employees benefit from telecommuting, also their employers. A typical business saves $11K per teleworking employee every year. Generally, businesses could profit from a financial gain of $124 billion by permitting staff to work from home at least half of the time.
Teleworking is Eco-Friendly
Another advantage from working remotely is that you save your company’s and your employee’s money while taking care for the natural environment. Thanks to reducing the necessity of commuting, you save nearly 109 hours of the worker’s time per year. Consequently, your company contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Improved Company Culture
It’s proven that companies that allows their employees remote work (even on occasions) build an employee-respected company culture, which is a very important feature when it comes to finding a balance between work and life.
Productivity and leadership expert Mary Kelly says that in a company with strong management and proper cultural-integration telecommuting shall work perfectly. “Done right, telecommuting saves money, time and resources for both the company and the employee”, Kelly says. “Telecommuting, even for a few days a week, can be a huge benefit to those employees who demonstrate that they are just as, if not more, effective working from home as they are at work”.
As Jon Eggleton, chief marketing officer for turnstone, observes though, it’s also important to work out the right culture that makes possible (and effective) the communication between workers.
“Determining whether the right culture exists (or could exist with the proper commitment) for remote work is really the first step”, Eggleton told BusinessNewsDaily. “While the recent focus has been on remote workers themselves, the truth is that an environment where colleagues in the office every day support their remote brethren is critical”.
The fact is that in PIXERS teleworking works! Thanks to its implementation, PIXERS staff doesn’t belong to a group of morning trams’ sad passengers and car drivers tired of waiting in traffic. We work from our homes, some of us even while travelling… In the end, you never know when and where the best ideas would come to your mind! Telework allows to focus on one’s tasks in a comfortable environment; you can work on flexible timetable and organize yourself the way it’s the best for you. Besides, cutting out the more menial tasks provides employees with an opportunity to focus on increased efficiency. Benefits to the organization, including the increased ability to recruit and retain valuable employees, and to gain higher productivity, are clearly documented.
And last, but not least — Cali Williams Yost’s empowering words:
Telework is not a perk and it’s certainly not just for moms and Gen Y. Rather, it’s an operational strategy. Think of it as anything less and organizations ignore what has become a vital part of their business and the way their people actually work” — Cali Williams Yost, CEO, Flex+Strategy Group.
