The Coronavirus outbreak has resulted in a substantial impact on business processes. One of the significant impacts we have seen and experienced is that most organizations had permitted their staff to work remotely considering the health and safety issues of the employees. However, organizations gradually return to their everyday business operations as the lockdown and restrictions are relaxed, and the work processes of organizations are unlikely to return to their pre-pandemic structure. Employees who enjoy working from home generally want to continue doing so. Organizations are also realizing the advantages of remote work and adopting an approach that perfectly balances flexibility and efficiency. Now, the big question is, does remote work actually work?
Well, we’ll explore the outcome of remote work for organizations and employees focusing on remote work’s potential benefits/drawbacks as organizations conduct their business processes.
Does Remote Work Actually Work: 6 Major Benefits
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Increased Productivity and Performance
Many organizations are skeptical about allowing employees to work remotely, fearing they would be less efficient because it’s tempting to procrastinate or put less effort into assigned tasks while working at home. According to survey statistics gathered from more than 30,000 American professionals, about 6 out of 10 respondents said they were more productive at home than they thought during the Covid-19 pandemic. An analysis of the information gathered indicates that survey participants’ productivity at home was 7% higher than anticipated, whereas 40% of professionals mentioned being more productive while working at home than in the office premises throughout the pandemic.
When managed with the right approach, remote work allows organizations and employees to emphasize work performance. Despite the difficulties during the pandemic, improved productivity in the remote work approach can be attributed to fewer distractions, more full time, a comfortable and convenient workplace, getting rid of everyday commutes, and so on. It is estimated that continuing remote work could boost total worker productivity in the United States by 5% relative to the pre-pandemic situation.
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Better Work-life Balance
Remote employees have several advantages regarding family concerns like parenting and caregiving responsibilities. According to Research published in the American Sociological Review, employees with flexible work hours feel less stressed, stay healthy, and sleep better. A further benefit of remote employees’ flexible schedules, mentioned in a New York Times report on the same Research, is that their kids also sleep better and feel less stress. Working from home is therefore found to significantly reduce stress, yield enough time for interests or hobbies, and strengthen personal bonding, along with a few other possibilities, making remote employees happier.
Working remotely can benefit one’s health in several aspects, e.g., additional time for regular physical exercise, reduced exposure to virus infections, and the freedom to establish a convenient and comfortable workstation. Flexible remote work options boost workers’ psychological well-being since they have additional leisure time in the morning or can walk in the evening. Remote working eventually brings more incredible opportunities for excellent family interaction. Spending more quality time at home with family members lends a significant positive mindset to one’s life, enhancing the sense of pleasure and satisfaction even further.
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Less Commute
According to Research, working professionals in the United States commuted 54 minutes daily before the Covid-19 pandemic. It is also estimated that remote work during the pandemic resulted in 62.5 million decreased commuting hours each weekday. Remote workers dedicate around one-third of their commuting time to their occupations. They spend the remaining time on domestic activities, parenting, recreational pastimes, fitness exercise, and sometimes part-time jobs. Apart from commuting on fewer occasions, remote workers have the opportunity to sleep better, which could be another factor in boosting productivity. Those who worked remotely usually awoke roughly half an hour later than in-office workers.
Spending hours is among the drawbacks of daily commuting to and from the workplace. Research reveals that 30 minutes or longer of regular one-way commuting could increase fatigue and stress. Researchers also found that longer commutes (more than 10 miles) daily could improve health complications such as high cholesterol, high blood sugar, and risk of depression.
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Better Employment Opportunities
Most organizations have traditionally been limited and willing to recruit employees who reside within a suitable radius of their company location. But recruiting only local talents restricts their selections. Organizations are now managing a remote workforce so that they can choose from the best-qualified applicants for a vacancy regardless of location. Organizations can pursue equality and inclusivity by recruiting individuals from various demographic, regional, and ethnic diversity, which can be challenging when recruitment and selection are limited to a single location.
Many organizations have realized that a scalable remote workforce allows them to retain expenditure while hiring new staff. Working remotely will be vital when employees select their new job. According to a survey by Global Workplace Analytics, 72% of organizations acknowledge that remote work significantly influences employee retention. When employees can work from home, they are more likely to stay with their current organization. And they would prefer remote work alternatives above a pay raise.
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Savings on Expenditure
Remote work results in financial benefits for both the organization and the employees. An average worker in the USA could save roughly $4,000 annually by working remotely. Commuting, fuel, automobile repair and maintenance, parking charges, formal clothing, bought-out meals, and other expenses could all be minimized or curtailed altogether. Advantages for organizations come from reduced costs for commercial office space, rent, decorations, furniture, electricity, utility bills, and other administrative or overhead costs. Moreover, organizations can save expenses on technology purchases and maintenance. Remote workers can utilize their devices like laptops and computers, coordinate and collaborate on work via cloud-based solutions, and communicate with coworkers and clients using video conferencing platforms.
According to Global Workplace Analytics, each remote employee could save roughly $11,000 yearly for a typical business organization. Following the Covid-19 pandemic, many organizations are now implementing a hybrid working model and allowing employees to work from home. The significant financial benefits of remote work may persist since more organizations adopt it as a long-term approach.
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Positive Environmental Impact
One notable aspect of the Covid-19 pandemic is that it forced people to adapt their behavior and lifestyle, resulting in slower deforestation and lower air pollution worldwide. This significant environmental consequence can be attributed to the billions of workers working remotely, thus minimizing traffic gridlock and pollution associated with daily commuting.
Transportation is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and global warming. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the transportation sector was responsible for 28.2% of greenhouse gas emissions in 2018. Besides this, greenhouse gas emissions have risen by 3.7% since 1990. It has been projected that if 3.9 million workers in the USA worked remotely for at least half of the time, greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced, corresponding to the removal of over 600,000 vehicles off the roadway for a year. According to another estimation, approximately 36.2 million American employees will work remotely by 2025, saving 70 to 140 billion commuter miles each year.
What Employees Think of Remote Work
According to a survey of over 5,000 full-time employees, more than 50 % of participants expressed that they expect their companies to implement hybrid working approaches, in which employees have the flexibility to work in-office and remotely. Over 25% of those respondents said they would think about changing current jobs if their company returned to utterly in-office work. While outlining the future of hybrid work, more than 50% of workers said they expect remote work opportunities for at least 3 days a week even when the pandemic ends.
Employees in the United States are the most enthusiastic about remote work, as almost 70% of respondents said they would prefer working from home full-time. Workers with infants and toddlers are the most inclined to choose flexible work environments. Just 8% say they expect an entirely in-office functional approach implemented in the coming days.
Drawbacks of Remote Work
Remote work has some drawbacks and challenges which organizations need to consider and think about. Employees who work remotely may feel isolated from their colleagues. They may miss out on everyday meetups, hang out, and chitchat with colleagues during lunch or coffee breaks in the office environment. Losing the opportunity of building relationships and group interactions could have an adverse effect and become a barrier to the team aspect of the job. Furthermore, communication might be difficult for some participants when in-office and remote employees attend brainstorming sessions and conferences.
It may appear that a remote work approach will result in less organizational politics, but it isn’t always the case. When employees who work remotely don’t receive the same information access, career growth, appreciation, and acknowledgment as others who work in-office, reputation and opportunity discrepancies can arise unexpectedly due to feelings of discrimination. This could happen because of proximity bias, where employees who are physically close to their colleagues and team leaders are viewed as better employees. As a result, they have more significant career progression than those who work remotely.
Final Words
Hopefully, this article answers the question does remote work actually works or not. Undoubtedly, the benefits of remote work have such a broad impact that it is destined to be an essential approach for future work processes.
