The 4 Biggest Benefits of Remote Work

Tapping into a remote workforce is proving to be more convenient than ever – which is why using remote workers continues to be one of today’s most significant business trends. Research now indicates that remote work offers impressive benefits for both individuals and organizations.

Below are the 4 main benefits of remote work, as outlined by research!

1. Saving the Planet

Let’s start with the biggest picture of all: Planet Earth. Workers who don’t commute contribute to measurable environmental savings. A study by the Carbon Trust suggests that an employee who works two days a week from home can save up to 390 kilograms (859 pounds) of carbon emissions annually. That figure includes the reduced emissions from commuting as well as the energy used for heating and office space.

Full-time remote workers create environmental impact with real reach; the reach grows exponentially when you consider the impact from fewer trips to daycare, dry cleaners, and lunches. Employers can leverage their astute environmental practices as a selling point for clients and customers.

There are many advantages to online courses, one of which is that there are less airplane flights for business traveling, therefore considerably contributing to a better future.

The same can be said for attracting and keeping employees who are committed to green practices – using remote workers means you can pull from a bigger pool, so you can compete on different levels for the best talent.

2. Living Healthier Lives

Along with helping make the planet healthier, remote workers themselves are in better shape. Skipping the daily commute, for example, simply makes life better. In their book, Remote, the founders of Basecamp, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier, suggest that employees who don’t commute experience less stress, pain, obesity and depression. They’re happier, healthier and more productive.

They also call in sick less frequently – remote workers are not around other people to catch that cold that’s spreading around the office. They report a better life-health balance overall, with more exercise, sleep and time with family. Savvy employers understand the benefits of healthier lifestyles and how they impact both morale and the bottom line.

3. Focusing More on Work

Speaking of which: because they usually work when they want to, remote workers work both more hours and more effectively. They can focus on a task without the usual office interruptions. “Meaningful work, creative work, thoughtful work, important work – this type of effort takes stretches of uninterrupted time to get into the zone. But in the modern office such long stretches just can’t be found. Instead, it’s just one interruption after another,” write Fried and Henemeir.

4. Increasing Productivity

Stanford Professor Nicholas Bloom and grad student James Liang found proof of productivity for remote workers in a study of the call center for the Chinese travel website Ctrip.

Ctrip employees who worked at home saved the business $1,900 US in furniture and office costs. In addition, they answered 13.5 percent more calls than the control group of employees that worked in the office. And, the at-home employees were happier and less likely to quit.

With numbers to back up intuitive good sense, it’s clear that enlisting remote workers will continue to shape business in the future. No matter what the current structure of your business may be, odds are good that incorporating remote workers can help sharpen your strategy and bottom line.

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