In the not so distant past, going into the office everyday was just part of the job. While telecommuting was the norm for some fields (mostly IT), others are now just implementing the infrastructure to facilitate remote working capabilities. With adequate 2-way technology that comes with high quality audio and video, and other features that ensure smooth communication, many industries are following suit, like sales and admin, customer service, teaching and training, marketing, writing, creative services and more. Even hybrid solutions (flex time, remote and office hours, etc.) are cropping up in other fields. There’s a reason for this upward trend, and it’s showing signs of heightened productivity, focus and output – to name a few!
Cities are growing larger and more spread out. So too are businesses with more clients, more employees and higher metrics to attain. With growth comes change, and not all change is bad, especially if it means sitting at home in your pajamas working on your laptop. Consider the abundant benefits that come along with telecommuting when you don’t have to battle traffic or even get dressed.
Perhaps one of the most obvious perks, telecommuting slashes time spent in transit. According to the US Census Bureau’s 2017 survey, the average working American’s commute is 26.9 minutes, “with more than 14 million people now spending an hour or more travelling to work in 2017.” Get your time back by setting up a desktop in your at-home office in the next room or opening up your laptop in your breakfast nook downstairs.
Spend Less MoneyBeing able to telecommute instantly saves you money. You don’t have to shell out for commuting, whether that’s for gas and car insurance, or monthly metro passes. You won’t feel obliged to go out for lunch, after work drinks or splurging for that fancy coffee when you hit the 3 pm brick wall. Think of what you’ll save on wearing traditional business attire, dry cleaning and parking!
Ditching the car in favor of telecommuting eases your carbon footprint. Sure carpooling is helpful, but single-occupant cars are still bogging down city streets and creating extra congestion. Furthermore, with easily accessible printers in the office, people are inclined to print more and waste paper. Remotely, simply send and receive documents via cloud or features like File Sharing to reduce the use of paper, ink and office supplies.
Be Present With Your FamilyTelecommuting is great for creating flex time to better accommodate your family’s needs. Some industries or projects permit employees to set their own hours, so long as the work gets done. Even if that isn’t an option, working remotely loosens up your day to plan dinner with the family instead of sitting in traffic; makes you available to pick up the kids, or gives you a couple extra opportunities to hit the snooze button.
Telecommuters agree, there is less stress when working from home. Whether it’s being in your own environment, or cutting out small stressors like making it to work on time, deciding what to wear, or remembering to bring important files to the office, cutting down on stress increases productivity. More productivity and a sharper focus seem to be products of telecommuting. According to a study by the Stanford School of Business, companies permitting employees to work from home are seeing the fruits of their labour in the form of a huge spike in productivity as well as employees who appear to be happier. Some companies even relieves themselves from chasing their work deadlines by implementing time tracking software.
In an office, it’s easy to get glued to your desk, or whisked away to another one. The point is it’s hard to get your blood moving sometimes! Telecommuting can help employees lead a healthier active lifestyle by promoting more movement at home. It’s not as hard to sneak in a 30-minute work out at lunch when you’ve got a shower only steps away. Now that you’re not commuting as far (or at all), you can cook your own lunches instead of running to the cafeteria for take out or fast food.
Freedom To Pick Up And GoYet another perk is that wherever you are, so is your work. Telecommuting affords you the opportunity to move and not be geographically dependent. If your spouse’s job suddenly changes cities, or a family member overseas becomes ill, whatever the case, you can access your work wherever you may roam.
A cliched term, but one that still has merit. Telecommuting empowers you to live a life that has joy but also provides you with the means to pursue your career. While you’re plugging away at work attending online meetings and collaborating with colleagues via an online whiteboard, you can water your new herb garden in between calls, or bake a cake in the morning before your first briefing, and take it out right at lunch break.
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