Not only will this help to keep your wage bill down but it will also improve the level of cash-flow in your business so you can take advantage of more of the opportunities that come along. The health and wellbeing of your workforce has proven links to productivity and a reduction in absenteeism. Whether it’s an hour and a half train ride or a 30-minute drive through rush hour traffic, this is time they’ll never get back. When working from home, an employee arrives fresh at their desk and raring to go. So how could you benefit from a more flexible approach that gives your employees the freedom to work from home?

If you usually hit an afternoon lull at 2 PM, for example, you can take a quick power nap or go for a walk to refresh yourself for the remainder of the workbenefits of working remotely. At an office, you might feel you need to ‘power through’ like your coworkers, but taking these micro breaks can increase work engagement and productivity. My mom has also reached the age where she needs help managing day-to-day activities. I’m grateful for the time with her and for my siblings who share in the challenges and joys of caring for an elderly parent, but the stress of being in the sandwich generation is intense. Going into an office every day would have made this phase of life overwhelming—if not impossible to sustain. More than that, workplace diversity has become increasingly important to people conducting job searches.

employee benefits to offer remote workers

One of the biggest benefits of remote working for a business is that it unlocks new talent. A company restricted to an office in the heart of Manhattan, for example, could only attract those who were living locally, able to commute or planning on moving nearby. However, despite more employees working while showing symptoms of being ill, some employers have implemented new benefits for sick leave. 25% of organizations added additional paid leave or time off for illness, as well as more personal days being offered to employees. For freelancers, remote workers, entrepreneurs, and digital nomads alike, the benefit of working remotely opens up an entirely new world of opportunity in terms of travel and exploring the world. It is no wonder that location independence is yet another key factor for many potential employees when seeking out new work opportunities.

Remote working gives employees more time and control to make healthy choices. With no commute, no lunch rush, and no long hour away from family, the remote workforce tends to be happier. Pair the higher salary with the possibility of a lower cost of living, and remote workers have a substantial financial advantage over on-site employees. Fully remote workers with no set location can live wherever they please. Some remote workers have left home altogether and live as digital nomads, traveling and working from new locales as they please. However, lines can blur between work and home life if you’re not careful, which is why fully remote companies encourage employees to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Productivity

Many professional development and networking opportunities are hard to balance with a 9-to-5 schedule. Some events happen during work hours which prevent employees from attending. Other employees have commitments outside of work that make it challenging to prioritize professional development. All these are great, but the option to work remotely is different. It shows employees that you trust them to get their work done, care about their work-life balance, and value them as a person. Supporting remote work can also make it easier to attract talent.

Remote workers find they can both attend scheduled meetings and preserve quiet time to get solo work completed, giving them more flexibility in their schedules. This has also contributed to increased attendance, since meetings do not have to work around travel plans and commuting schedules. Returning to the office would undoubtedly involve costs for the company. Owing to social distance and other health and safety considerations. So if employees are just as productive at home, it makes sense to keep them there. Researchers were unable to determine whether people were more productive when working from home or not.

Learning and development

Research shows that telecommuting can potentially lead to a boost in productivity and attendance. At the same time, there are a number of different ways that employers can reduce costs and improve recruitment too. They should welcome the questions and have clear answers for you about their efforts. Remote work is possible today because of the wide range of remote work technology and tools available.