Working From Home: The New Normal
The second week in October is set aside to observe National Work From Home Week, and it recognizes the seven million people in the United States who don’t commute to work every day. Actually, prior to 2020, that was the number — but nowadays the number of remote workers in the United States (and indeed the world) has risen exponentially.
Global Workforce Analytics estimates that 56 percent of the U.S. workforce holds a job that is compatible (at least partially) with remote work. Currently, only 3.6 percent of the employee workforce works at home half-time or more. Gallup data from 2016 shows that 43 percent of the workforce works at home at least some of the time. GWA’s prediction is that the longer people are required to work at home, the greater the adoption we will see when the dust settles.
Aside from the initial contributing factors for these stay-at-home workers, even now that things are opening up around the world again, workplaces have started to realize the possibility that employees can be just as productive and effective without having to physically be in an office environment.
“Technology changes the ways we approach remote work and has many benefits. It is the number one contributor to making this new way of collaboration possible,” says Daniel Lerner, Executive Vice President, Investment Services at David Lerner Associates.
This makes sense when you think about how phone calls, zoom video conferencing, Google meets, and online project management software are making a whole new way of working possible.
Managing remote teams can be challenging at times, however, and there is an argument to be made that dealing with remote workers hinders opportunities for in-person management — the walkthrough your co-workers approach — and there are questions about whether or not employees can actually be more productive for the company without being in the office.
Despite this, the Harvard Business Review has found that working from home has vast performance benefits. A 2015 study showed that when employees opted into work-from-home policies, their productivity increased by 13 percent. When, nine months later, the same workers were given a choice between remaining at home and returning to the office, those who chose the former saw even further improvements: They were 22 percent more productive than they had been before the experiment. This seems to suggest that given the choice, people should probably determine for themselves the situation (home or office) that fits them best.
Productivity and job satisfaction go hand in hand. It would also seem that remote employees are happier employees. A combination of saving hours of time stuck in commuting traffic, saving thousands of dollars on fast food lunches, gas, and working in a calm and comfortable environment makes for a more enjoyable work experience. Studies show that 97 percent of full-time remote employees would recommend remote work to others.
A pre-covid traditional office may be something of the past as we move into a hybrid remote work future. The workweek now consists of things that were never considered normal. Video conferences and a host of other technology is changing normal, traditional jobs into remote jobs.
People who work from home even half the time can save around $4,000 per year. Between gas, car maintenance, transportation, parking fees, a professional wardrobe, lunches bought out, and more can all be reduced or eliminated from your budget entirely. These savings add up and put more money back into your pocket.
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