The work-from-home movement became a full-fledged revolution 3 years ago when COVID-19 rocked the world. The world shut down, employees went home, and many fired up their laptops to work from home.
Many of these employees were first-time work-from-home employees. They discovered there’s a world out there that is different from the hustle and bustle of the office. There was a way to get work done and be at home.
This changed the world.
Now, as the pandemic becomes further and further behind us, business owners are demanding their employees return to the office. Their reasons seem solid.
Until you look at the benefits of working from home.
6 Ways Working From Home Is Benefiting Business
The benefits of working from home are not just for the employee. The businesses they’re working for see significant benefits as well.
What are those benefits?
Lower Overhead Costs:
When you no longer have employees returning to the office, you have lower overhead costs. Your organization no longer has to use expensive electricity to run all of the computer equipment and more in the office.
Instead, employees can use their home energy to power everything they need to get the job done.
This does not miff them. Instead, they’re thrilled to be home and able to get the job done.
Reduced Absenteeism And Turnover:
Absenteeism and turnover have been huge issues for employers. Employees fail to show up to work because they don’t have reliable transportation, a sick child, or adverse weather. These excuses for absences are gone when you can work from home.
Employees can do double duty by taking care of the issues that arise in their personal lives while still working remotely. Or, think about this… An employee is sick. They don’t have to come to the office and spread the illness. They can continue to work, if they want, while sick.
Don’t discredit this great benefit for businesses of working remotely.
Increased Working Hours:
This one is a big benefit for an employer. Employees are saving a lot of time by not having to commute to the office. Most employers think the employee is off having a great time when they’ve saved their commute time.
Research is showing this isn’t true.
Employees are actually giving back to their employers.
Employees are saving an average of 72 minutes per day by not commuting, according to NBER. What happens with that free time? Do they binge the latest Netflix series? Do they try to catch a movie so they can become a Reel Leader?
No…
The research shows that people work more when they don’t have to commute. Most employees are using the extra time from not commuting to work more. On average, 40% of the time saved from commuting goes back to their employer.
The lack of a commute benefits your employees and your business.
Access To A Wider Pool Of Talent:
Do you want to increase the talent pool you can hire from? Then consider keeping work-from-home an open option.
When you allow your employees to work from home, you can cast your open positions to many more potential candidates.
You no longer have to be concerned about whether or not your small town has enough skilled labor. The world is your oyster, baby.
Use work-from-home as a way to find more qualified employees.
Reduced Office Politics And Distractions:
You’ve probably experienced employees gathering in common areas or around the water cooler to chat about juicy gossip, their latest golfing trip, or something else.
These pit stops can last from minutes to almost an hour. This is eating into the productivity of your team.
When working from home, there are fewer office distractions. There are also fewer office politics.
Your employees won’t clash as much because they won’t see each other as much. They can interact just as much, if they’d like, through tools such as Microsoft Team, Zoom, and other video conferencing software.
Flexible Schedules:
This is an easy one to overlook because we’re so focused on the 40-hour work week and the 9-5 grind.
We’ve learned that we don’t have to work from 9-5. Work hours can vary, and so can the number of hours.
When you allow for flexible schedules, you open up the possibility of servicing customers in other time zones better.
The Many Benefits Of Work From Home
There are more benefits than the ones listed above. I’m sure this article has kickstarted your thinking to look for ways that working from home can benefit your employees and, just as important, your business.
Don’t let the fearmongering about work-from-home stop you from testing out this valid option for your business. You may discover there are benefits for you and your employees.
