Remote work refers to the ability to work from anywhere, and it isn't until the recent advent of the Covid pandemic that it became a reality for many. This pandemic has brought forth the means to work from home by simply opening your laptop and virtually connecting to your office via an online meeting. There are numerous benefits that employees tend to reap as a result of working remotely.
1. Cost-saving
Working from your home saves you the hassle of transporting back and forth from your office. Furthermore, wasting time due to getting stuck in traffic jams is an even bigger bummer that remote work makes abundantly easy to avoid. Remote work is even more increasingly advantageous for employees whose work takes about an hour or more to commute to work. You can save a good amount of petrol expense by simply working from the comfort of your home. Additionally, you also save up on other expenses such as parking costs, lunches, and buying birthday gifts for your colleagues.
2. Independence of location
A great perk of remote work is that it does not restrict you to specific jobs based on their geographical location and, henceforth, offers a wider choice of employment opportunities. This is particularly beneficial for people who are seeking jobs in rural villages and towns where not many local opportunities may be available.
No fixed employment location implies that employees can also go and live as digital nomads and work from whatever environment they feel the most productive in. There are also circumstances where people have to frequently relocate to a different location due to the jobs of their partners, and a typical example of this is military spouses. However, by working remotely, this segment of employees can significantly profit from working from whatever geographical location they deem fit.
3. Flexibility
You may organize your day according to both your job and your home life, as long as the hours are set at the appropriate time. With the possibility of attending various school events of your children (such as soccer games and bake sales) or attending medical appointments, you can feel at complete ease with your schedule. When a company grants such flexibility to workers, it develops confidence and provides higher job satisfaction.
4. Autonomy
Employees acquire a particular degree of confidence and respect in an enterprise that provides them the freedom to work from home or remotely. This autonomy becomes evident in many ways in workers; it makes them more productive and eager to go above and beyond in their work field and allows them to prosper in their careers.
5. Increased productivity
Even when they work out of the office, companies' willingness to trust their staff might be the key to achieving greater productivity. Data indicates that productivity thrives when employees save extra snack breaks, a long commute, and other distractions to focus on their job. In a two-year study on productivity in the workplace at Stanford University, for example, researchers have tracked 500 staff after separating them into 'remote' and 'conventional.' The findings of the remote working group not only indicated an increase in job productivity but also illustrated fewer sick days taken by employees.