While it’s not necessarily the first thing on people’s minds when they consider remote work, it’s important to consider the social and environmental impacts of working remotely.
Aside from objective, bottom-line benefits such as lower rents, improved productivity, and dedicated, specialized teams, there are several less-considered benefits that the modern, considerate workplace can count as part of its culture.
First, remote workers report greater happiness on the job as well as in their most significant relationships. For married couples in the UK and Switzerland, this meant greater satisfaction in the marriage. Just spending more time with each other isn’t necessarily the only benefit: respondents to the Manchester Metropolitan University survey suggested that this allowed a more gender-equal distribution of chores around the house[1].
Next, the clarification and habit-building necessary for remote workers make remote workers more invested in their work, according to a study by TINYPulse and Owl Labs. Furthermore, the very act of clarification seems to come from the boundary-setting that is part of the very nature of remote working. Add this to the fact that companies that use remote working have a 25% higher employee retention rate than those that do not, and it’s a winning combination[2].
Furthermore, remote work appeals to the mindset of younger talent: according to a survey by AfterCollege, 68% of Millennials prefer situations that give them the opportunity to work remotely[3]. Not to be trumped by the kids, remote work also allows older, highly-experienced professionals the chance to remain in the workforce for longer: workers over the age of 64 want to stay in the workforce, the majority asking for flexible work and many requesting work that can be done at the home[4].
Last but not least, hiring remote workers reduces the possibility that workers might not actually be able to do their job from home. After all, a remote worker can, by definition, work from home. It’s hard to say when workers might be kept home because of inclement weather, transport strikes, protests, or other unforeseen problems. If these workers lack the tools, communication skills, or organizational boundaries to work from home, then productivity may in fact experience a sharp decline[5].
The benefits of remote work certainly go
beyond the obvious: a healthy, happy, capable workforce is unarguably more
productive.