What are the benefits of working remotely? It’s a great question, and one I often get as a remote work career coach. And while remote work has tons of notable benefits, they’re not the same for everyone. But, generally, speaking remote work has specific perks that simply can’t be found in everyday office jobs. And it shows!
A survey of approximately 1,000 hiring managers in remote-friendly companies indicated that nearly 40% of their workforce will work remotely over the next decade. And once these workers begin to work remotely, they’ll discover these seven notable benefits of working remotely.
1. Increased Productivity
Remote work can come with distractions, especially if you work from home. You have pets and neighbors, kids and a significant other to contend with. How will you ever manage to get anything done?
As counterintuitive as it may sound, one of the benefits of working remotely is increased productivity — not procrastination.
A 2-year Stanford study concluded that employees working from home saw a dramatic productivity boost. So great, in fact, that it amounted to an extra full day’s worth of work each week! Study participants found it was much easier to concentrate and far less distracting to work from home.
If you’re worried that remote work may tank your productivity, don’t. Telecommuters are thought to be some of the most productive employees around.
2. Saved Money (For You And Your Employer)
There’s been a huge shift in remote work, and for good reason. One recent study found that employers save thousands each month in overhead costs when they allow even part of their workforce to telecommute. Money saved is always an incentive for companies to do something. But what about savings for you?
The day you stop commuting to and from work, is the day you start saving money too. For starters, there’s the cost of gasoline which can amount to more than $1,000 annually for some commuters. Plus, you don’t have to spend money on an expensive business-casual wardrobe or lunches out during the work week.
If you want to see just how much you can save when you skip the daily work drive, check out the Commute Cost Calculator. And then start thinking about what you can do with the money you’ll save when you finally kick your cubicle to the curb.
3. Lower Stress
Did you know that work stress is the number one source of stress for adults? Over the last decade, the increase demand of jobs combined with our desire for better work-life balance have left us feeling strained.
According to the Center for Workplace Mental Health, “excessive workplace stress causes 120,000 deaths and almost $190 billion in health care costs annually.” Those are some pretty scary numbers.
As such, it’s important to manage workplace stressors. And, as it just so happens, one of the benefits of working remotely is lower stress!
Some studies report telecommuting reduced stress by as much as 82%. There are a few factors why home-based employment is less stressful than traditional office jobs, like:
- No daily commute
- Greater control over work environment
- More work-life balance
At the end of the day, the flexibility of remote work simply makes it easier to manage stress.
4. Happier Homes
Who doesn’t want to be happier? Most American adults do, but few know how to go about it. The good news is, one of the benefits of working remotely is greater happiness! But don’t just take my word for it.
In the 2018 Global State of Remote Work report, it found remote workers are 24% more likely to feel happy in their roles. When workers feel content with their jobs, their overall happiness increases. That’s because work satisfaction gives us a sense of purpose. And with a sense of purpose we generally feel more contented and less disdain with who we are and what we do.
Another interesting takeaway from happy homes with regards to remote work concerns married couples. A Manchester Metropolitan University study found married couples who work from home are happier than their office working counterparts. Ultimately, this boiled down to shared house chores and responsibilities, with remote workers reporting more equal division of house work.
In any event, whether single or married, it’s clear that working remotely makes you happier. And that’s a win any way you look at it.
5. Time Recovered
In the United States, the average commute is approximately 26 minutes each way. That amounts to nearly an hour every work day, five hours every week, and 250+ hours spent in the car annually to get to and from work.
When your workplace is your home, you immediately recoup the time you normally would spend commuting. The best part? That time is yours! You can do with it what you like.
- Learn a new language? Sure.
- Exercise? Of course!
- Sleep in? You betcha.
In a world where work-life balance is extremely important, telecommuting instead of commuting delivers more ‘personal’ time, and that’s one remote work benefit we can all get behind!
6. Positive Environmental Impacts
Climate change and global warming are hot topics right now. Many employers have cited ‘going green’ as one of the reasons they shifted toward a remote work culture.
These remote-friendly and distributed workforces not only save money (a win for them) but also greatly reduce their carbon footprint (a win for all of us).
7. Meets Demands of Both Older and Younger Workers
The workforce is ever changing. Today, 60-something employees are delaying retirement longer than they were even two decades ago. But, why are workers retiring later or putting it off altogether?
For starters, life expectancy has increased. Plus, pension plans have changed in a way that makes it smarter to retire later in life. There’s also changes in Social Security and the fact that the cost of living often crushes fixed income retirement benefits.
Because Americans over the age of 64 are working more often than not, they’re driving trends in workplaces too. A recent AARP survey found that 74% of older Americans who hold off on retirement want flexibility in how they work, including the ability to work from home.
Younger workers too are seeking out the benefits of working remotely. Nearly 70% of millennials surveyed said their interest in an employer would increase if there was a remote work option. It’s no wonder then remote-friendly companies attract some of the best and brightest employees from across generations.
The Benefits Of Working Remotely
Remote work is here to stay. As more and more employers recognize the value of remote workers, it’s the perfect time to find the right work from home job for you. Not sure what the right remote job is? Check out these popular remote-friendly career paths for inspiration.
Remember, when you make the decision to telecommute, you get a lot of perks that you just can’t find in traditional office roles.
From money saved to time earned and greater productivity and happiness, there are plenty of benefits of working remotely.
Happily,
Ashlee
P.S. This post may contain affiliate links. Check out my disclosure statement for more information
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