Free goodies please your on-location office employees and your remote workforce alike. However, for remote workers, who sometimes exist in a purely digital world, a little tangible treat can offer an invaluable connection to the company and coworkers. A rise in work-related stress may be pushing job seekers to find companies who care about their mental health and wellness and offer robust programs to prove that commitment. With companies all over the world asking their employees to work from home, remote work has become the new normal for global businesses and enterprise employers. Some of the benefits ofworking from homefor employers and employees can include improved well-being and lower costs. Many companies find that a mix of the two is best for maximizing engagement. Access to care may also become an issue for remote workers, especially those living in or relocating to more rural areas with fewer health care providers.

• Hence organizations need to spend extra time not just recruiting, but also making sure they do all they can to integrate new employees into the existing teams.
• Pairing each employee with a wellness buddy is a great way to build in opportunities for coworkers to better get to know each other while holding each other accountable for their wellness goals.
• An employee with chronic joint pain, for example, may feel more comfortable in their ergonomic home desk chair.
• Even if you work for a remote company that binds you to a specific time zone or country, you can still move to cheaper cities or prioritize lifestyle rather than proximity to the office.
• At home, you can have more control over the environmental impact of your office.

Remote work was a global movement before the coronavirus pandemic and only accelerated with it. According to Gallup, nearly 60% of U.S. employees working from home want to continue to do so. They can plan their day to suit both their work and home life, as long as they do the set hours at the right time. Having the flexibility to attend medical appointments, watch the kids’ basketball game, or take elderly parents shopping can lighten the load. And not having to ask special permission or fit in with other team members takes the pressure off too.

You May Experience The Bias Some Remote Workers Report

An employee with chronic joint pain, for example, may feel more comfortable in their ergonomic home desk chair. A worker with seasonal affective disorder , can position their desk near a window to get more sunlight. Someone who moves or fidgets often through the day can do so without worrying about distracting others. Before the pandemic, remote work wasn’t an option for her; now her company is fully WFH and only maintains office space for monthly meetings. Until recently, the idea of working from home was firmly in “must be nice” territory for most employees—the stuff of wistful conversations during post-work happy hours.

It can be used for room dividers, ergonomic chairs or standing desks. You can also consider paying for co-working space that offers home office setup and co-working allowances for remote employees. Bring up travel plans in a group of people and nearly everyone will pipe in. People love talking about trips, planning trips, and obviously taking trips. Help your remote employees do more joy-inducing travel with a travel-based rewards program from a company like Peak Performance Meetings and Incentives.

Strategic Outsourcing: Definition, Types And Benefits

Even if you don’t plan to work from home all the time, commuting less has health benefits. You can use the time you save to get enough sleep, spend more time with friends and family, exercise, or cook healthy meals.

• Working from home can provide a number of important benefits for employees, and these are often the focal point when trying to explain the merits of telecommuting.
• Instead, go around the globe to look for that specific skill set you want.
• Employees already bring work home after hours, finish presentations over the weekend, or catch up on email while waiting in line.
• Irma’s experience includes working for clients in different industries such as travel, retail, recruitment, technology and charitable institutions.
• Though working remotely is clearly an attractive benefit, it may not be the right solution for every employee, and sometimes in-office communication is necessary.
• This includes communicating regularly using video, texts and whiteboard meetings about benefits topics rather than relying primarily on open enrollment for benefits communication.

Giving your employees the ability to work from home allows them to operate in a way that suits them. People can be very particular about how and when they like to work. In an office environment, all employees must adapt to the same approach. A reduction in the amount of time spent on a stressful and unpleasant commute is undoubtedly a benefit for employees, but it could also give your business a boost too. I have a team of more than 50 remote employees at RunRepeat.com. Here are 16 tried and tested ways we’ve used to reward and retain our top team members. Employee turnover can cost your business more than 30 percentof the worker’s annual salary.

Product Support

Keeping a workplace open on a 24-hour basis can be expensive and may not be logistically feasible, but asking some people to work from home and cover a night shift may be viable. This can help turn a business into a continuous operation, which can be especially beneficial for providing around-the-clock customer service. One of the main pieces of research on this to date is a two-year Stanford University study, which divided a group of 500 workers into two groups – one working in the office and one working from home. Over the duration of the study, the productivity boost from working at home was equivalent to one full working day extra. Keep reading to learn about 10 ways that companies are benefiting from remote work or visit our home office solutions page for more valuable insights into remote and hybrid work. The future is going to be even more inclusive and allow for more work-life balance than it did before. You might have an image of a remote worker as a sun-deprived vampire who never leaves the house and is chained to their desk all day long.

Many remote jobs offer a flexible schedule that lets you start and end your workday when you want, as long as your work is complete. In addition to personal health and well-being, coworker and manager relationships can be more positive without the distractions and politics that come along with an in-office job. A reported 72% of employers say remote work has a high impact on employee retention—plainly put, employees are sticking with their employer when they have remote work options.

They can print them out and add them to their bulletin boards or simply give them five minutes of reflection. Employees in companies of all sizes, from small businesses to enterprise companies, crave professional development. They all simply want to know they’re picking up new skills and growing their professional prowess. You can also set a time limit on the funds, and determine whether the unspent balance will be rolled over for your team member to use in the next period or reclaimed for the company budget.

The Health Benefits Of Working Remotely

WFH is here to stay and provides new levels of work-life balance and flexibility for more people. But the pros for some people are cons for others, and vice versa. If you imagine your ideal work environment and pursue conditions that come closest—you’ll set yourself up for success no matter where you work. With no commute, you contribute fewer greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere.

You’re also able to match your breaks to your natural peaks and dips in focus. “Working from home allows you better control over managing your energy,” says Rachel Wallins, founder of Accelerate Talent Management and a productivity and leadership expert. I can use my breaks to get dishes out of the way or cut veggies for dinner, which gives me more time to spend with my husband and the kids in the evening. If these advantages spark excitement or “I could get used to that” thoughts, WFH may be a good fit for you.

Working Across Time Zones: Pros, Cons, And Best Practices

The tools below will sweeten the working life of any remote employee. No matter where they’re located, remote employees will feel like part of your big, happy company family when they receive a swag pack filled with customized gear, goodies, office supplies, and more. Weekly quizzes show up in your remote employees’ inboxes, they answer them when they have time in their schedule, and then your entire team can discuss, https://remotemode.net/ debate, and laugh over the results. While this remote work platform costs about a dollar per user each month, you can try out a four-week trial to see if Water Cooler Trivia is a good fit for your team. A full-time working-from-home experience contrasts sharply with an in-office experience. Companies need to offer different benefits to round out that experience and make it fulfilling for remote workers.

• Job satisfaction helps with employee retention, but it also does incredible things to productivity and your bottom line.
• You can even include employee profiles and social networking apps on a modern intranet, making it more desirable to use.
• We are a recognized employer and educator valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities.
• According to researchers, remote employees spent two hours and 44 minutes on physical exercise each week, marking a 25-minute increase over office workers.
• That’s not to say that there are no distractions that come with remote work, of course, but for many people, the in-office ones are more disruptive to their productivity.
• In other cases, employers may have to establish separate provider contracts or coverage in each state or locality in which an employee lives.

This flexibility doesn’t have to be limited to when and where you can work, it also includes things like what you now have time to do during your day and what you can eat throughout your workday. With Prodoscore’s latest feature you can visualize how employees collaborate. If your employees are based in a region that you’d like to target as a business, you can send branded items like t-shirts, laptop bags, even visiting cards that they can carry and distribute when needed. Offer employees discounts on their go-to relaxation aides, such as television or game streaming services. They’ll appreciate how much you care about their after-hours relaxation.

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 workday. 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.

It is in fact the future state of work and with technology becoming more advanced, work can be just as effective even though teams are no longer physically in the same room. Introducing remote work in your organization will also help you save money. The two key areas where you’ll see costs reduced are offices and salaries. Employees are more willing to work longer hours and 52% said they are less likely to take time off—which can lead to higher stress and exhaustion. Make sure you’re taking care of your people so they can continue to perform and take care of your business. Not only do 30% of employees report accomplishing more in less time, but 23% said they’re willing to work longer to get the job done. Though working remotely is clearly an attractive benefit, it may not be the right solution for every employee, and sometimes in-office communication is necessary.

The research found that office workers took shorter breaks than remote workers, though longer breaks have been shown to increase productivity. A Stanford study found that remote workers were more productive because they were not distracted by office disruptions or long commutes and actually took fewer sick days and shorter breaks. Additionally, remote workers had higher job satisfaction, which led to a 50% reduction in attrition rates. The cherry on top was a savings of nearly $2,000 per employee in overhead costs by reducing the amount of office space needed at HQ. The rise of telecommuting has led to a lot of discussion about the various benefits of working from home for employees, but it is worth stressing that this is far from a one-way street.

Improved Productivity And Performance

As with all work concepts, there’s a give and take between employer and employee that demands balance. Here’s a look at why companies trend toward decentralized teams and the enticing prospects remote work offers. Employers benefits of working remotely may need to set up benefits to accommodate employees in specific locations. It’s easier than ever to stay connected in our era of email and smart phones and many employees believe it increases their quality of life.

People Also Ask These Questions About Remote Employee Perks

In the past, employers have been reluctant to abandon their punch-in-punch-out policies but giving employees the ability to work remotely does have its rewards. Given the ability to work however best suits them, employees get more done. Instead of accepting a rigid workplace structure and schedule, employees adapt their work to a mode they’re comfortable with. Their chosen environment, schedule, habit, and even the way they dress all contribute to comfort, which translates to focus and productivity. “Offering benefits and perks to address various and unique circumstances will be key to not only support a remote workforce but to retain them as well,” said Britton. Slay recommended that HR and benefits professionals stay in close touch with employees no matter where they work. This includes communicating regularly using video, texts and whiteboard meetings about benefits topics rather than relying primarily on open enrollment for benefits communication.

The Benefits Of A Remote Workforce

So how could you benefit from a more flexible approach that gives your employees the freedom to work from home? These are a few of the most compelling reasons why adopting flexible working practices could boost your small business. Chad Brooks is a writer and editor with more than 20 years of media of experience. He has been with Business News Daily and business.com for the past decade, having written and edited content focused specifically on small businesses and entrepreneurship. Chad spearheads coverage of small business communication services, including business phone systems, video conferencing services and conference call solutions.