The Benefits Of Working From Home

Research by One4all Rewards recently revealed the top five workplace initiatives that boost employee engagement and productivity, and taking third spot was a work from home policy with 41% of employees putting the option in their desired health and well-being plans. Why do employees want a work from home policy? Studies have found that rush hour commuters waste approximately two and a half full days out of a year sitting in a car, and if an employee regularly has a painful commute, it can eventually drive them to search for work in companies closer to home. Working from home eliminates the stress of the long, traffic-filled commute and allows employees to work to their own schedule and pace.

Here, we discuss some of the best reasons why employees should be allowed work from home regularly:

Employees waste less time commuting: Cutting out the commute an be a huge morale booster, a huge time saver, and allows employees to save the money the would typically spend on gas and/or public transportation.

Employees will be more productive: One Stanford study found that employees who worked at home were 13.5% more efficient than those who worked in the office. It also found that they were 9% more engaged than their in-office co-workers and reported shorter breaks, fewer sick days and took less time off. In a TED Ideas blog Stanford economics professor Nicholas Bloom, who led the study, said ‘Everything I saw was ‘’pro working from home’’, and put out by people who were for it from the outset. The people against it have stayed quiet.’

Employees will be happier: Between long hours and demanding workloads, the modern-day office environment is more stressful than ever, meaning more and more employees want to take the time they need to improve their health and wellbeing. A work from home policy helps promote a better work-life balance by giving employees a break from the hustle and bustle of the hectic workplace and offering them the chance to work to their own schedule and at their own pace.

It’s easier than ever: With tools like GoToMeeting, Skype, and Slack, it’s now easier than ever to stay connected to employees working remotely.

Employees will waste less time: Whether it’s a 10-minute catch-up that turns into a two-hour meeting or a 30-minute brainstorm that quickly escalates into a morning-long strategy meeting, employee productivity is highly impacted by the number of useless meetings and other time wasters that are ubiquitous in an office environment. A work from policy eliminates these time wasters, allowing employees to better use their work time.

Employees can work flexible hours: Working from home allows employees to create their own schedule, allowing them to adapt their hours to their family and social life demands. This also helps promote a better work-life balance.