Does your office allow employees to work remotely? If not, then you may want to consider it, since there are so many benefits to this practice.
Our research has shown that we are in the midst of a flexible workspace revolution. This flexibility can come in many forms and possibly be a breath of fresh air for your company. Read on to find out just how enabling your employees to have flexible time or work remotely can benefit your business.
Autonomous Employees
One of the biggest benefits is actually a win-win for both employee and employer. Workers who can connect from home gain a great sense of independence. Obviously, you will need to put into place some ground rules about the amount and quality of work that needs to be completed, but overall, the ability to work from home can help employees feel independent from some of the office drama that occurs on occasion. Maybe they enjoy a quiet space with no music, or perhaps the employee likes to work on a sofa or back patio. Now that he/she is able to connect from home, the exact work environment they thrive in is possible.
Increased Productivity
Working in an office has its advantages but so does working from home when it comes to being productive. A Stanford University survey has found that employees who work from home are 13% more productive than their in-office counterparts. Stanford professor Nicholas Bloom helped design a test whereby 500 employees were divided into two groups–a control group who continued working at CTrip, China’s largest travel agency’s headquarters and volunteer work-from-homers. The at-home workers were required to have a private room at home, at least six-month tenure with Ctrip, and decent broadband access as conditions.
The nearly two-year study showed an astounding productivity boost among the telecommuters equivalent to a full day’s work. It turns out work-from-home employees work a true full-shift (or more) versus being late to the office or leaving early multiple times a week and found it less distracting and easier to concentrate at home.
Additionally (and incredibly), employee attrition decreased by 50% among the telecommuters, they took shorter breaks, had fewer sick days, and took less time off. (Source: Inc.com)
Improved Employee Retention
As mentioned in the Stanford study, employees who are granted access to working at home tend to remain loyal to a company longer and be more satisfied employees. One of the benefits is it allows parents to be home when children get home, caregivers to keep an eye on family members who may need assistance from time to time, and allow for a work-life balance that cuts out the commute altogether. For some, that can add hours to their day.
Is your business considering allowing for remote employees? Wondering how to set up the technical side of this endeavor? Call M&H Consulting for advice on connecting your employees to your office via desktops, apps, and mobile devices. Call M&H Consulting or drop us a line on our Facebook page if you have questions on how to make this possible in your office.
Categorised in: employee issues, IT Consulting Services, remote work, workplace issues