Working from home has numerous benefits over traditional offices.
Many people love working from home because they get to spend more time with their family.
Others enjoy having the flexibility to work whenever they want without worrying about traffic, parking, or commute times. Still others appreciate not having to deal with annoying coworkers who make their lives miserable.
But is it really better than a traditional office job?
I’ve worked remotely for years, and I’m convinced that working from home is the future of work. Here are the reasons why working remote is better.
Real quick, before we get too far into it here, if you want to get more great ideas for your gaming room or home office and want to connect with other home office hackers to make your space the best join my free private Facebook group, Home Office Hacks here.
Remote working is better. Here’s why.
Remote working is better because it takes you away from the traditional office setting. Not only that, but it also has some excellent perks to take advantage of.
Improved mental health
Ongoing stress can take a toll on you mentally. This stress may stem from the daily commute, personal life issues, and other things that may cause it. Running late for work can increase this stress and worry at the same time. When you are remote, you have no commute other than just walking from one end of the house to the other.
You can work from anywhere
Whether it’s an office space you rent or a coffee shop down the road, remote work allows you to work from just about anywhere. Instead of being in the office environment for hours on end, you can create your own. This is one reason why job satisfaction can be positive so you won’t have to be surrounded by distractions that will affect your productivity.
You can meet from anywhere
Remote workers and remote teams can meet online thanks to platforms like Zoom. They won’t have to meet all in one physical location (unless the need arises). Also, remote employees can also meet with their managers if they have a question.
Flexible schedule
One of the best perks is being able to work a certain set of hours one day and another the next. This can be due to schedule obligations that you may have outside of work. If you are being hired by a company that does remote work, be sure to provide them with times and days when you are available so they can honor it and give you hours that they’ll need you to work.
A positive environmental impact
If you are cutting down your commute to nothing, then that can make a positive impact on the environment. But still, there are still issues that may arise (more so in the energy consumption department).
Better work-life balance
A lot of factors contribute to the lack of work-life balance and one of the biggest culprits is the traditional office environment. Working from home can be a game changer. No more expensive childcare costs or rushing out the door in the morning. Remote work gives you the flexibility to manage your time in a way that works best for you and your family.
You are not stuck in one location
Before the internet and the popularity of working from home exploded, in virtually all cases, if you wanted to move to a new city or state, it was all but impossible. Now that remote work is the new normal you have the flexibility to live wherever you like, and can even move away from the big city with all its crazy expenses to a new place that better fits your lifestyle
No more office gossip or politics
When you are in the office, you are bound to hear about what everyone else is doing. Gossip and office politics are an unfortunate reality for so many, but when you’re working remote, you eliminate a lot of the water cooler talk. Petty conflicts can be virtually eliminated, and even if there is still a lot of jockeying for position and selfish ambition, it’s at least not happening right in front of you.
It’s cheaper
The cost of living in major cities has gone up significantly over the years. Not only do you have to pay for normal stuff like housing, power, food, etc., but you also have to deal with paying for things like transportation, dry cleaning, commuting, etc.
When you work remotely, you don’t have to worry about any of these things (or at least they become significantly less important) because the demand is no longer there form them to be part of your every day life. You can save thousands of dollars each year simply by choosing to work remotely.
You can dress down (or up) as much as you’d like
Working from home means you get to choose how you want to dress. It doesn’t matter if you are wearing a suit to go into the office or jeans and a t-shirt to hang out in the kitchen. The choice is yours.
You can wear whatever makes you feel most comfortable and that can be getting your full suit of armor on, or it can mean that you dress down and wear comfortable shorts and a t-shirt (my preferred “uniform”). There is no wrong answer here outside of the requirements of your job, if those even exist.
Housekeeping no longer needs to consume your weekends
Instead of going to the coffee shop during the day on your break, you now have the opportunity to toss in a load of laundry, unload the dishwasher, or straighten up the house. It’s a win/win situation because you get to spend your free time doing something productive instead of sitting around waiting for the weekend to come.
Coming from someone who’s worked at home for a long time, these benefits are just the tip of the iceberg. You learn about more benefits specific to you and you situation as you spend more time working from home but hopefully this will give you some ideas on why working remote is better.
Working remotely is better for businesses too
If you’re on the other side of the fence as a business owner or manager, there are several reasons why working for home is better for your business too.
Remote workers are happier and more productive
Research has shown that people who work from home tend to be more engaged, happy, and productive than their co-workers. They are able to focus on the task at hand without distractions such as phone calls, interruptions, and meetings. This results in higher quality work and increased productivity.
They are more loyal
One study found that employees who work from home were more likely to stay with their employer than their colleagues who worked in the office. Companies who do a good job of taking care of their employees by embracing this kind of flexibility enjoy greater loyalty from them because they know that they’ll be taken care of when they need it.
You have a larger talent pool for new hires
Because you’re no longer geographically restricted to just your immediate region, because of the wide adoption of remote work, you have a much larger talent pool for recruiting top level talent. If you’re looking for an experienced developer, designer, or project manager, the good news is you can source that talent from just about anywhere.
Reducing overhead & costs
When your team is distributed you no longer have the requirement of a large expensive office or its associated utility expenses. Sure, you’ll need to reimburse or compensate your employees for expenses like high-speed internet, but the massive costs of operating a traditional office, like power, utilities, internet service, snacks for the break room, coffee, etc. are gone.
Remote workers are healthier
Just the commute associated with traveling to work can be a source of stress and higher blood pressure according to one study. The independence and control that remote employees feel leads to greater feelings of job satisfaction and less burnout. It’s much easier for your staff to get out for a walk, exercise, and take care of themselves.
Is it better to work remotely or in office?
It depends on the person. You may be comfortable working in a remote setting. Others may be fine working in the office.
It will differ from one person to the next. If people working remotely notice an increase in productivity and enjoy working in a remote location, they will stick with it for the long haul. They certainly won’t mind the virtual meetings no matter what time is may be in their geographic location.
You may not like the cost of living where you are currently and want to move someplace where it may be cheaper. If you have the finances and the resources, you can be able to work remotely. The autonomy for employees can play a huge role in employee retention.
In-house employees may have limited benefits in regards to their job. They have to deal with the office politics, having to work hours that may seem inflexible, and be unproductive. As a result, this can increase employee turnover.
Whether you want to work in comfortable home offices or a space about ten minutes away from where you live, it’s all up to your personal needs and preferences. However, you can consider a hybrid method where you can work a certain amount of days at home (and the remaining number at the office).
For example, you can work Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays at home. On Thursdays and Fridays, you can go to the office. Your weekly commute time will be cut down considerably. But if you choose to work remote all the time, you can take more coffee breaks as you need to.
Who says no to extra coffee breaks? As long as you are focused and get the work done, you can take regular breaks to get moving and keep yourself mentally balanced.
Are remote workers happier?
Owl Labs stated in a survey that remote workers were happy to stay at home for work than those working in an office. Of course, being happy leads to many key benefits including increased productivity and a better work-life balance. Furthermore, it can also lead to extra time that they can use to sleep in.
They won’t have to wake up and beat the morning rush hour traffic. Even better, if they are running their own business, they can be happy as well. Not only for their overall business success and financial benefits, but also they can work a few hours one day and take the day off the next.
Despite doing work with businesses across time zones, they have their own schedule and will get the work done for their clients regardless if there’s a 12 hour or 1 hour difference between them.
What are the pros and cons of remote working?
One of the major pros of working remote is the cost saving. They can save money that may otherwise go towards fuel and maintenance for their vehicles. The costs may pile up if and when they are beholden to their regular commute to and from the office.
You can also reduce your commute time if you want to be part of a hybrid team. You may work a few days at home and at least one day at the office. The costs may be reduced as well.
The good news is that you won’t be in a physical office and your employee satisfaction levels will rise. With that said, there are some cons that go along with this. You may lack in-person interaction with your fellow office workers.
Sure, the company culture will call on people to work together as a team. It seems to be more effective in an office setting. However, some adjustments can be made if it is done remotely.
It doesn’t hurt for remote teams to work together and make sure the project gets done within a certain time period. Some remote employees may view remote working as time to loaf around. However, they still need to manage their time wisely and follow a schedule.
One of the biggest cons that many remote workers have complained about is feeling isolated. Isolation is a real challenge for remote workers.
Feelings of cabin fever when working from home are another.
But there are also solutions to both of those.
Still curious? Click here to learn more about how to stay motivated when working from home.
Next Steps
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