In recent years, opportunities for teleworking have massively increased. This is as a result of several factors such as:
- technological advances creating a shift in the job market to more tech based roles
- The recent pandemic we faced forcing people to work from home
- globalization meaning people work for companies abroad
A U.S. based study in 2021 found that people working from home reported being 22% happier than those not. On top of that, they found that a shockingly high percentage would even take pay cuts of up to 10%. This is just to be able to work remotely.
Therefore, in this article we will see what makes teleworking so appealing to so many people today.
1. Time management
When working from home you are expected to get work done in a certain time frame. Now this means as long as you get the job done, you can use the hours in your day in any way you wish. Of course different company policies may vary in that you must be logged in between a certain set of hours. Generally though monitoring isn’t as precise, which gives you a more flexible work day.
2. Save on cost and time for transportation
According to a FlexJobs survey, 84% of the participants claimed that the number one benefit of teleworking was losing the commute. A different study by the U.S. BLS found that the average American spends a staggering 16% of their household income on transportation costs. That’s enough of the statistics now. It is no secret that less time and money is wasted when working from home. So this undoubtedly is a huge benefit.
3. Being present for at home responsibilities
The Owl Labs study showed that 63% of people had a child or dependent they provided care for during the pandemic. Being home not only meant they could save on extra childcare costs but also allowed for more quality time spent together. Also, 51% adopted a pet during the pandemic showing how much extra time and costs are saved from at home working.
4. Improved mental health
Multiple studies have found that many people find that they have reduced stress levels when working from home. This is because of a couple of factors including:
- Reduced stress from commuting
- Working in a personalized and quiet work environment
- Less workplace distractions from colleagues or otherwise (leading to higher productivity levels)
As previously mentioned, teleworking also leaves much more time to be spent with family. Apart from that, you have extra personal time which also leads to a happier workforce.
5. Productivity
Lastly, it is important to note that a personalized and self controlled work environment leads to higher productivity levels. Combining this with the reduced commute times and the lack of external distractions, there will be an overall more productive day. The Owl Lab study found that 67% of Americans in the study reported that they were more productive when working from home.
All in all, it is fair to say that teleworking has numerous benefits that should be considered now. In fact, people are increasingly being given opportunities for this kind of work arrangement and accept them with pleasure. Of course there are still a large number of jobs where remote working is not an option yet. This is due to the nature of the work. However, in the future there will be many more places of employment moving towards this form of working. This way, both employees and employers will benefit.