Before Covid-19, working from home was simply uncharted territory. Fast forward three months and most of us have delved into the unknown and had to transform some corner of our home into an office.
Working remotely is daunting for both the employer and the employee, but if 2020 has taught us anything so far about the corporate world, it’s that everyone benefits from it.
Many employees have said that working from home and the flexible hours that go with it has made them more productive, with 98% of people surveyed saying that they would like the option to work remotely for the rest of their careers.
Working from home means more time to spend with family, no commute and the opportunity to work from any location, all of which are appealing as more of us assess our work-life balance. Because employees are more content in their working environment, the quality of work they deliver is to a higher-standard – so everyone is happy!
Flexibility: the ultimate perk
Lockdown measures have accentuated the benefit of workplace flexibility – especially for working parents, and a total of 86% of parents now want to work flexibly, compared to 46% pre-coronavirus. Being a parent is a full-time job in itself, so having the flexibilty to integrate the two jobs as opposed to frantically juggling both means that there is more chance in succeeding and managing responsibilties better.
Implement a support system
It is vital that employers communicate with their employees whilst working remotely as much as it is integral that employees manage their work relationship with other colleagues. Communicating via video calls is a great way to keep everyone up to date with what’s going on.
Having said that, too much contact might hinder performance so it is important for employers not to check on their employees too frequently. Good leaders trust their employees to get on with their work. This may seem somewhat unnatural at first due to the lack of visibility, but giving employees this trust and independence will in turn promote productivity and loyalty, resulting in better results for your company all-round.
Mix it up
One of the most practical ways employees can stay engaged and productive is through taking regular breaks. More frequent, short intervals have proven to boost productivity, so employers should encourage their staff to take time out. It is more beneficial than not having any at all!
Taking breaks is easier at home, as you can easily access some outdoor space or put a load of laundry in the wash. Furthermore, we’re no longer confined to only our desks. We can mix up our surroundings, or even head outside for an hour and soak up the sun – a real mood booster.
Everyone saves money!
Working from home brings with it no commute and less, if any, child-care fees. As a result, employees will save more money! Not only this, but if businesses decide to fully move into remote working, then they will save money on rent and there is less chance of employees taking sick days. According to one study, remote employees work 1.4 more days per month than their office-based counterparts, resulting in more than three additional weeks of work per year. Remote employees are therefore essentially an investment.
Saving money is at the heart of everything we do. If you have yet to implement an employee benefit scheme whilst your staff work remotely from home, get in touch about our free rewards app here. It will boost employee engagement whilst saving both you and your staff money.