Remote work is now easier than ever being able to communicate and connect online thanks to technology. It is now possible to video-call, send emails, create documents, and manage tasks from anywhere with an internet connection. Many employees have requested to work from home, but organizations are not as enthusiastic about this flexible approach.

How do you find out if your employees actually work every day? Without face-to-face communication, will the quality of your work suffer? Would you benefit from remote work or should you keep it in the office? Businesses have it much easier to keep an eye on employees and hold them accountable at work. But can they trust their employees to work remotely? Businesses no longer have the option of testing remote work. Employees all over the world are being forced to work remotely after the COVID-19 pandemic. We are stress-testing remote work worldwide, so be prepared.

You’ll learn a lot about the benefits of working remotely once you are over the coronavirus epidemic. Let’s now take a look at remote work, and whether you should seriously consider it long-term.

Employees Already Waste Time at Work

Remote work is often discouraged by companies that want to reduce employee distractions. Managers can check in on employees while they’re at work to make sure they don’t waste time or do non-work-related tasks. Managers might not be as adept at catching employees as they think. On average, employees say they spend three hours per day during an eight-hour workday. These hours are spent browsing the internet, chatting with coworkers, and otherwise slacking off. 77% of employees who have a Facebook account claim they use it at their job.

Your employees will find ways to waste their time at work. They just won’t do this in front of you. Remote work doesn’t necessarily mean lower productivity Remote workers are statistically more productive when you consider the productivity numbers. A 2019 study of over 1,000 employees showed that remote workers worked an average of 1.4 days more per month than their in-office colleagues.

Remote workers reported only being idle for 27 minutes per day, compared with 37 minutes for staff in the office. These results show that employees who are happy to work for you and love their jobs will be just as productive working remotely as they would in person. It doesn’t matter where your employees work, if they don’t feel engaged in their jobs, it won’t matter what they do. They won’t give their best.

Remote Work Has Multiple Human Resource Benefits

Although most managers are focused on productivity when considering allowing employees to work remotely, there are many other benefits. Remote workers can save on average $4,500 per year on fuel and get an additional 25 minutes of exercise each week. Remote work can be a bonus to your team and make them happier.

Remote work is not only beneficial for employees but also benefits employers. Take, for example:

  • Happier employees are less likely than others to quit, which reduces turnover and decreases lost profits.
  • Remote work opportunities will attract more employees, which can increase your talent pool and help you hire qualified candidates.
  • -Hiring workers to work remotely allows you to increase your talent pool and help you find the right fit for your company.

Consider this: Is a reliable employee better than a few average employees working in an office? Most people would say yes.

Full-Time Remote Work Does Not Require Approval

Employers often believe that remote workers never visit the office. 60% prefer to work in an office environment and don’t think that flexible work arrangements would make it difficult or impossible for them to be there. While the majority of workers prefer to work in the office, more than 80 percent of workers like the idea that they can work remotely.

Employees who can work remotely at least per month are 24% more likely to be happy and productive. Flexibility in work is a key factor in employees’ happiness and productivity. Take into account the needs of your employees, and what motivates them to work remotely. This information will help you to design your remote work policy. A few examples include:

  • As a perk, employees can work remotely on Fridays.
  • -Permitting parents to work remotely from home after picking up their children from school.
  • -Permitting employees remote access to repairmen and other home service providers.
  • To meet tight deadlines, employees can work remotely from home.

You can ask employees to visit the office on certain days or for specific meetings. This allows for a good mix of office and remote time. In the event that you need your employees to be away during an emergency, it is a good idea to set up remote work policies.

Remote Work: The Future

Companies around the globe are being forced to work remotely, even if they weren’t prepared. Working remotely will bring with it growing pains and obstacles that businesses must overcome. There will, however, be lessons to be learned. Is the remote office the future frontier of work? Is it a failure to work remotely? Most likely, we will land somewhere in between. While remote work has its drawbacks, it can also offer benefits to both employees and employers. After we return to business as usual, businesses should review their experiences and think about adapting their businesses to remote work opportunities.

Remote work may not be the best option for every company. However, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t consider it. Your employees may appreciate your flexibility and be more productive if you have the right system. Contact Signature Workspace for more information regarding remote work and how we can set you up with a virtual office space today!