Working Remotely, a Dream?
Every workplace is different, just like every worker. There may be good reason to have your employees come into the office instead of working in pajamas out of their home.
Are you a remote worker? Does your organization allow for remote work? With the advent of cloud solutions, it has never been easier to take your work home and keep it there. If your job has you mostly working within the Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel Outlook, etc…) on files that can be stored in the cloud, accessible from anywhere, why pay for costly office space when most people are happier to stay at home?
The myth that remote workers are less productive is exactly that, a myth. According to a survey conducted by Connect Solutions, 77% of remote workers stated they were more productive working remotely, while 30% said they accomplished more in less time. Statistics from Global Workplace Analytics found that after a successful experience with remote work environments, 95% of employers felt that allowing telecommuting increased employee retention rates.
As more and more software developers move away from boxed CD’s and towards Software as a Service (SaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS) offerings, there’s less and less need to physically be in an office because the application you need can be accessed from anywhere. Collaboration can be accomplished through Microsoft Teams and video conferences without that annoying coworker stopping by your desk to distract you with a play-by-play of last nights episode of The Bachelorette.
It’s not all fairy tales and sunshine for remote workers though. The 2019 State of Remote Work Report from Buffer found that remote workers struggle the most with unplugging after work, followed up by loneliness and collaborating/communication. Studies reported in U.S. News & World Report found that remote workers tend to put in 6-7 more hours a week than on-site workers, whether that’s a good or bad thing is up to you.
It’s also important to know that the workforce is changing, Millennials are currently the largest generation in the workforce with Gen-Z’ers following them in, and they have a very different idea of how and where work should occur. They eschew the traditional idea that work must occur in a set physical space and want to be evaluated by their productivity and ability to complete tasks, not whether their butt was in a particular seat 9 to 5 Monday through Friday.
Every workplace is different, just like every worker. There may be good reason to have your employees come into the office instead of working in pajamas out of their home. With globalization ever on the rise and workers preferences leaning towards telecommuting it may become difficult to attract talent without at least the option of remote work. Liberty Mutual here in Keene NH with almost 200 employees is selling its office and downsizing, some workers will continue working in an office while many others will be working remotely. It’s hard to argue against lower operational costs and happier, more productive employees.
-Peter T. Belies