Remote work is revolutionizing the corporate world, and the pandemic brought the opportunity to test its impact at a large scale. Nevertheless, some companies and managers ignore the hard data associated with this trend, while their competitors take advantage of the Remote work environment to increase employee engagement and productivity.
In this post, I will share some figures about the effectiveness of Remote Work policies at the corporate level and their impact on employee satisfaction. To better understand the effectiveness of remote work in different from different perspectives, I will break down the results on the impact on Companies and Employees.
Changing the paradigm of working on-site to a remote or home-based environment has a measurable impact on productivity, company culture, and retention, and even helps companies to reduce the environmental impact and carbon footprint.
A survey from Airtasker with 1000 employees across the US, 505 of whom were remote employees showed that Remote workers are actually more productive than office workers, and it seems that flexibility triggers a higher engagement and effort. For instance, remote employees work 1.4 more days each month, a figure that ends on 17 additional workdays a year. In addition, they work 10 extra minutes each day to compensate for longer breaks and are said to be less distracted by management, boss, and coworkers.
Another report by Owl Labs in 2021 shows how 90% of people working at home during pandemics felt as productive or more working from home, they worked one more day a week, and in general terms, their productivity raised by 47%.
Let's be honest, Engaged employees are more enthusiastic, energetic, and positive, and this attitude has a direct impact on their performance and culture. According to Gallups, engaged employees present 41% less absenteeism, 40% fewer technical errors, and the profitability of their companies is 21% higher.
Flexibility in a company became a critical factor in terms of attracting and retaining the best talent, and Gallups research shows that 54% of employees would change their jobs for the choice of working remotely or not, and it is popular nowadays that candidates refuse an onsite position knowing that they can find a more flexible job somewhere else. Remote working's most remarkable benefit is work-life balance, a priority nowadays, especially for Millenials, the largest age cohort in the workforce. So, having flexible working conditions and the possibility to choose remote work is a key factor to keep and attract talented employees to your company.
If your company is interested in social responsibility, you should be implementing remote and flexible work. There are many variables involved, but just mention waste disposal, reduced energy use (on-site workers used twice more electricity), water consumption, and a major impact on carbon footprint by commuting.
Some companies have been taking seriously the carbon footprint evaluation, monitoring the impact of remote working. Meta reported reducing 32% of its carbon emissions by reducing commuting and energy consumption on site, and Microsoft cut indirect emissions by more than half between 2020 and 2030, just by shifting to remote work.
All the studies show that employees are happier when working from home or with flexible remote arrangements. Most employees (76-88%) agree that remote work increases their job satisfaction.
Keeping the same positive trend, another study shows how 75% of employees respond to improving their work-life balance since they started working from home. Even if they are dedicating more time to work, the new conditions make it possible to spend more time on other aspects of their lives and improve their family ties.
Remote employees are healthier in terms of exercise. The research shows that they have 45 more minutes of exercise each week compared with office workers. Saving time in commuting and having the best mood helps in keeping healthy habits, a reason why many companies are also offering wellness benefits to increase the benefits associated.
This is one of the more relevant benefits of remote working, you save 408 hours, or 17 days a year in commuting, which is equivalent to $4,523 USD on fuel. All the time spent commuting, is invested in the quality of life and the money spent can be used in spending quality time with family and friends.
In general terms, it is known that an employee that slacked off at the office, will do the same at home, but the figures are supporting that remote working is here to stay. These figures show the benefits of remote working on employees' satisfaction, engagement, and productivity, and it is clear that investing in keeping employees happy is always rewarded with an amazing culture and performance.
If you are taking advantage of this trend, we can help you scale your team with reliable Colombian professionals. Get the benefits of remote work, plus the savings and other benefits of a top nearshore partner. Schedule a call to get more details.
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