Since the spread of CV19, remote working has shifted from the perk begrudgingly offered to employees, to a necessity needed to keep businesses profitable. Working from home has had a bad rap and has often been seen in the mainstream as a way for employees to shirk responsibility, but it is set to become a lot more common and for good reason. By offering remote working as a viable option going forward, businesses will inevitably build a culture of mutual trust. By allowing employees more freedom to choose how and from where to meet a deadline, employers will almost certainly be paid back with respect. We have listed 15 of the most common benefits remote working offers employers:

1.       Increased Productivity A study by Airtasker found on average, remote workers put in 1.4 days more work a month, which equates to about 3 weeks over a year. This is mainly down to fewer interruptions or distractions, only being invited to the meetings they really need to be at and having a quieter working environment. All in all, having more desk time adds up to getting more done.

2.       Reduced Overheads With everyone working from home, there is no longer any need for a big office with extortionate utilities and maintenance costs. As more employees are set up to use good collaboration tools there will be an increase in online meetings, leading to a reduction of face-to-face, therefore leading to a reduced expenses.

3.       Bigger Talent Pool The world becomes your oyster when offering remote working as a benefit; this will enable companies to attract top talent due to the flexible nature of working from home. It means you are no longer tied into location; your business can be located in less desirable regions but recruit from over the whole country.

4.       Improved Retention With the true cost of recruitment between £5K-£9K, retention of good employees is a must. Because working from home is seen as a major benefit, employees are less likely to look elsewhere, and if companies pace promotions and other perks equally between remote and office based workers they will be sure to see more staff sticking around.

5.       More Autonomous Employees Some may see this as a negative, but autonomy begets creativity and trust. People can be very particular about how and when they like to work. In an office environment all employees must adapt to the same approach. However, at home employees have much more control over what they do and when, meaning creativity can flourish. Thriving employees who feel empowered, trusted and supported will respect your company, product or brand and they’ll talk about it to their friends, becoming advocates of what your organisation does.

6.       Less Stressed Workers Without a daily commute, employees arrive at their desk having saved at least an hour of getting ready and fighting the daily traffic to get into the office, meaning they’re refreshed and in a good mindset to start work. A less stressed worker is also a worker who will manage a greater amount of issues with a level head and produce more creative content, as they have additional capacity to problem solve.

7.       Reduced Salaries Because the perk of wfh is so good, the salary doesn’t need to be as high. That’s quite a statement, but according to a poll by Jeremiah Owyang 44% of people would accept a 10% pay cut to work remotely for the rest of their lives. It makes sense if you think of the saving they will make on commuting, and employees are also able to move to more affordable areas of the country.

8.       Reduced Sickness Committed office employees on a tight deadline will often fight through a bad cold to come into the office and complete their latest project, spreading germs to their colleagues; remote workers keep their germs at home. If a remote worker has broken a leg or is convalescing, they will often be more eager to pick up the laptop and start light work sooner in the comfort of their own home and pyjamas.

9.       Happier Employees With no commute and less stress, people that work from home are generally happier than their office counterparts; with an improved sense of well being and better mental health. This is due to having an increased sense of gratitude toward their employer for their improved work/life balance. Happier employees = more productive employees.

10.   Location Independence Companies that employ remote workers are not tied to one place. If the majority of your work is done in front of the computer rather than face-to-face, you don’t need an expensive office in London or New York but could opt for somewhere more affordable. It also offers the potential to operate a 24/7 service with employees starting the day in Australia and finishing in California; meaning your company has cover around the clock.

11.   Improved Equality If your company is no longer tied down to a specific county or region, you are no longer limited to the ethnic majority of that place. This means you can have a more ethnically diverse and therefore balanced workforce. It will also empower employees in developing countries by offering them the same benefits as their western counterparts without having to leave their communities.

12.   Positive Environmental Impact Introducing a culture of remote working will empower people to rely more on video calling and messaging rather than face-to-face encounters, this will reduce your environmental footprint and carbon emissions.

13.   Retention of Older Employees For workers with increased demands on their time, like looking after family or caring for older parents the increased flexibility offered by remote work can entice them to stick around longer. This allows them to contribute and remain productive but on terms that adhere better to their lifestyle.

14.   A Richer Work Culture Offering remote working means that you can begin to employ people from all walks of life who would otherwise not be inclined to move to your location. These new employees will bring a more diverse culture and work ethic, which if harnessed could greatly benefit your organisation by widening your cultural horizons.

15.   Spread the Risk By going remote you are immediately cutting your risk and improving your disaster preparedness. By not putting all your eggs in one basket but maintaining connectivity, work would continue as normal in the event of an unexpected event such as a fire or flood at the office. By spreading risk you can ensure business continuity.

Innovate NP works for Non-Profit organisations to help them work at a greater capacity, giving them access to technology and process management expertise. For more information on our services visit us at www.innovate.lifegroup.uk