If you have spent any time at all on the internet over the past year or two – you will no doubt, see a number of ads promoting remote work. They include various side hustles on how to make money using your phone or just a laptop. All this without leaving the comforts of your home. A lot of these ads are in fact true, but you need to do your due diligence check before you quit your regular job for a remote job or side hustle that is not real. These promotions are very tempting but embedded in some of these ads are deception – and that job you are hoping to get does not exist. Most of these promoters are just selling a course that is not beneficial to anyone but themselves, and some of these links and ads are accompanied by viruses – so think before you click!
Gone are the days when everyone thought only certain individuals such as healthcare coders, writers, bookkeepers, bloggers, IT professionals etc. were able to work effectively from home or from remote settings. The 2020 pandemic showed us that working from home can be done right across all major industries. Looking back on all the adjustments most companies had to do to accommodate their workers, and customers during the pandemic – proved that remote work is feasible. Therefore, company executives should not be pressuring their remote staff to go back to the office. When the same job can be done effectively from home without getting up early in most instances and driving for miles just to sit at a desk to do the same job that can be done effectively from home. It all comes done to the will of these executives to allow this to continue. We already saw that they can afford to maintain this practice. Since they bought new computers for their remote staff when they needed to stop the erosion of their profits and their top talents from leaving due to the pandemic.
So, if you are a leader or manager of a remote team – there are six (6) benefits that are invaluable to your staff, and these are the top reasons why most people would rather resign than return to work in the office.
- Less distractions
Workers have indicated that working in the office comes with a lot of distractions – from someone bragging about what they did over the weekend, church activities, stopping your work regularly to help that one coworker who clearly needs retraining, but management turns a blind eye – to those employees who stop at each desk to say good morning. A lot of these actions are unnecessary and unavoidable in an office setting, especially if you are an introvert and would rather work alone. They are, therefore, real hindrances to productivity that are sometimes overlooked when leaders are examining productivity results and ways to improve output. By eliminating these distractions remote employees are able to focus more on their tasks and get more things done.
- More family Time.
Most people know someone, whether it’s a family member, relative, friend, or a friend of a friend – who has lost their family as a result of working long hours away from home. Working from home or remotely will not cure you if you are a workaholic – but it would afford you a better way to structure your life around work. A lot of these jobs that are done remotely comes with a flexible schedule, or projects that can be done in your own time. What this means is that you can set your work schedule to facilitate having breakfast, lunch or dinner with your family – which was not possible before. There are many people who have never had a meal with their family unless it is a holiday, weekend or a day off. In fact, many parents never saw their children leave for or return from school. Because they had leave for work very early in the morning and return after their kids already got home. This lifestyle has caused a tremendous amount of stress on the family structure. Missing recitals, games, among other important milestones are long gone and are unfortunately irreplaceable. Remote work gives employees a chance to stabilize their individual lives and family structure – and once they got a taste of what it is like to be home and working, they will not be returning to the office without exploring all options available.
- Spending less on food
A huge benefit of working remotely, is the significant reduction in the amount of money that is spent on food. These workers are happy to eat leftovers every day for lunch and drink their own coffee or another beverage of their choice. Eating leftovers at work is a very good cost saving measure and should not be frowned upon – but not everyone is strong enough to rebuff the temptation of eating fast food. So instead of eating the food you brought from home – you find yourself in line with your coworkers ordering food which is very costly when evaluated overtime. The bottom line is that your disposable income will stretch further if you work remotely – since you are shopping for food just for your home and not enough for work and home. Therefore, going back to the office means a significant increase in their expenses.
- Reduction in transportation costs
With the soaring of gas prices earlier this year, coupled with inflation. Many individuals find it extremely difficult to commute to work and still maintain their standard of living. This economic upheaval impacted everyone – but the remote workers came out a little better than everyone else. So, while you were coughing up anywhere above sixty ($60) dollars to fill up your gas tanks on a weekly basis or so – which of course is heavily dependent on the distance from home to work, where you live and the vehicle you drive. Remote workers were looking at their vehicles in their driveways, garage or parking lot all week. As travelling was only done for emergencies, grocery shopping, or worship activities. This allowed them to pay only a fraction of the cost to top up their tanks not to fill it up. This is indeed a plus to be working from home when the cost to get to work has now become a huge burden.
- Managing appointments and time off from work
Attending appointments can be taxing on both you as an employee, on your team as well as your supervisor. Often, we try to schedule appointments in and round the areas we live, work or go to school. But there are occasions where we need to go outside of this area for repeat visits. This can make you feel guilty, knowing that you are leaving your team behind to carry your share of work. This can bring about disharmony as team members become disgruntled over the workload. It is not that they do not care – but the increase in frequency of your appointments can erode that feeling. This often happens in situations where the office is open for a set period, and you are not allowed in the building before or after certain time frame. This is where remote work comes in very handy. Because you can take the time off you need to attend to these matters without negatively impacting the team. Since you can always complete your hours on that day by signing on earlier and working later – considering that the barrier of not being allowed in the building is now removed by virtue of you being remote.
- Freedom to live anywhere.
No longer are employees bound to live in and around city centers where their work offices are located. With remote work – you can live wherever you please provided you have adequate internet access. So, if you have always wanted to live somewhere outside of the hustle and bustle of the cities, grow and raise you own food, and raise your family in a more laid-back atmosphere – you can now afford to do so as a remote staff. This is one of the driving forces behind the increase in demand for homes located in small towns and rural areas. More and more people are now realizing that it is possible to live closer to nature, breathing fresh air daily, and eating from their home gardens – without comprising their ability to do their jobs effectively outside of the traditional office setting.
Many of the top companies are trying to force their staff back on site claiming it is good for company culture as well as employee growth and productivity. But people are now willing to resign than to give up these benefits. Furthermore, even doctors are conducting telehealth sessions with their patients from their homes. One would think a doctor would need to be physically present to administer care. However, technology has provided the support necessary to minimize the need for this type of service unless it is an emergency case.
Conclusion
Believe it or not, remote workers are among some of the most productive employees. Most people consider working from home a luxury and will do what it takes to maintain this status. Remote work is here to stay- so the earlier companies embrace this change, the better they are able to recruit and retain top performers.
