Gone are the days of working in an office from 9am to 5pm from Monday to Friday. Nowadays people want more from life. They want a better work/life balance. But, what does that actually mean and why is it important?
Remote and flexible working is becoming more and more popular for businesses across the UK and by 2020 50% of UK workforce is expected to be working remotely. So, how can you move towards enabling staff to work remotely?
Why is remote working important?
One word… Millennials. Defined as being born between 1981 and 1996, so around the 22-37-year-old age bracket, millennials are changing the workspace and work life. Millennials value their time and environments much more than being office bound and being given pay rises. They want more freedom to make their own choices and to make an impact. So, what are the benefits of remote working and why do they opt for it?
Millennials are open to change. If fact, they relish it. To have the ability to work from home, a coffee shop, or even abroad enables them to feel in more control of their life. To get more enjoyment out of it, whilst still being able to achieve the same level of work they would do in an office. Just think about it. Would you rather be in a stuffy office on a warm summer’s day, or outside in the sunshine?
Those who opt for remote working are often self-driven individuals. They work hard to demonstrate their ability to work away from the office and just how responsible they are. What’s more, because they can choose to work from anywhere, they’re more often than not going to choose somewhere they feel comfortable, somewhere that brings them joy and provides them with the right environment for the tasks they have at hand. And, the work they do may change, so they can change the environment with it. Reports suggest that working remotely increases productivity by 16%!
A study has showed that those who work from home love their job more than those who work in an office. They’re happier, more content and have a greater positive outlook on work than those who are in the office 9-5. And what with one in five employees saying that juggling their work and personal lives is the main cause of stress, providing them with the ability to take back some control goes a long way!
Giving staff the opportunity to work from home, or from wherever they choose shows they’re trusted by their employer. It’s also been shown to help reduce staff turnover as this added benefit of remote working makes them more invested in the work they do and company they work for.
