Whether you’re someone wondering if working from home is right for you or an employer considering allowing employees to telecommute, you need to know the advantages and disadvantages. However you look at it, telecommuting will certainly play a huge part in your companies future. Here’s why you shouldn’t ignore telecommuting.
Increased Productivity
Working from home can come with a dozen more distractions than working in an office. However, it does offer a lot more flexibility. When the workday ends, you’re already at home so the full evening is yours. Also, by allowing flexibility in the work schedule productivity is increased. For example, if you have an employee who performs better mid-day, their workday can start at 10 AM vice 8 AM.
Remote working doesn’t mean sitting on a beach somewhere way with your laptop- it means working anywhere, at any time. It also eradicates the problem of commuting to work. Shortly after getting out of bed, you can be answering emails.
Positive Effect on Health
There are many reasons why telecommuting has a positive effect on health. Not having to commute to work means there’s one less car on the roads and fewer emissions to breathe in. If it’s a long commute during rush hour, the commute itself can be stressful before you’ve even started your working day. A third reason, telecommuting gives you more time and flexibility. This allows people to spend more time being active and cooking healthy foods.
An Easier Job
With telecommuting comes the inevitable use of online tools to make working easier. You’ll want to find and use online tools that not only make your work easier but are professional as well. It’s never been simpler to find help with online comprehensive project management programs. From scheduling your meetings and platforms that allow you to share documents with your colleagues, you’ll find it all at the click of a finger. When everything is set up properly, there isn’t much you don’t have access to when working online.
Decreased Costs
For business owners, telecommuting is a fantastic way to keep business costs down. If the majority of staff are telecommuting, it can save the business a significant amount of money on office space. Along with that office space comes decreased costs in janitorial staff, office supplies and even simple things like tea and coffee. Many businesses have found that these small costs add up to a huge amount for just one year.
Loyal Employees
Telecommuting makes life as a whole easier, which means there are less work-related stress and often much clearer communication between colleagues. Since telecommuting became more popular a few years ago, larger scale businesses have found job attrition rates to fall by over 50%. With retention rates being higher, this means the hassle of hiring new employees is dramatically reduced. Companies have also reported telecommuters are often more willing to work overtime because those extra hours can be done on their own terms. The happier your employees, the more likely it is that your business will thrive.
More and more people are looking for jobs where telecommuting is an option, so it’s not surprising that it’s expected to have an important role in the future. As you see above, there are many advantages to having a telecommuting policy for your business. If you don’t have one yet, it may be time to implement one. Here’s to your success!
Carolyn R. Owens has over 25 years of proven experience and serves as a Career Strategist, Executive and Leadership Coach. She is the President of Infinity Coaching, Inc. where she can help you up-level your skills, so you can up-level your income, career, business or life. Infinity Coaching, Inc. provides coaching, organizational training, personality assessments, and a signature program, the Infinity Coaching Inner Circle. Carolyn is certified to give both The Energy Leadership Index Assessment and Myers Briggs Type Indicator Assessment. You can find out more he about both assessments and other products and services at https://infinitycoaching.net.
