Rarely in the business world does one idea—one fundamental change in thinking—bring profound advantages for both a company and its workers. But the benefits of telecommuting and other flexible work options make it clear they fit that bill.
In the explanatory video, below, 1 Million for Work Flexibility outlines several of the benefits (to both employees and employers) of ensuring flexibility is part of a company’s culture.
Work flexibility is “wanted by all kinds of people, from all walks of life, and for all types of reasons,” says Sara Sutton Fell, founder of 1MFWF, in the video. “Our goal at 1 Million is to get a million people to raise their hands in support of work flexibility, because we believe in the power of numbers. The more people who bring their voice to the table, the more we can actually get done.”
And people who have opportunities to telecommute and otherwise take advantage of flexible work options are getting things done. Such flexibility helps parents continue to work while also raising children. It removes the stress of commuting, giving people more hours to spend with their families, which in turn makes them happier and more loyal. And it lets people work when and where they can be most effective, which improves productivity.
In addition to enhancing productivity, remote work also helps companies by allowing them to recruit the best people, no matter where they happen to live, and to retain those remote rock stars after they’re hired.
Here are five specific benefits of telecommuting and other flexible work options, and why they are a win/win.
Flexible work options increase productivity.
Both anecdotal evidence and scientific research support the notion that people who are granted work flexibility see a boost in productivity. For example, in statistics compiled by Global Workplace Analytics, JD Edwards teleworkers were shown to be 20-25 percent more productive than their office colleagues. And American Express employees who worked from home were 43 percent more productive than workers in the office. That’s partially because people are happier and healthier when they have some control over their work lives.
Flexible work options reduce turnover.
Recruiting and training new employees is expensive. Companies are always looking for ways to improve their hiring processes and to keep the workers they hire. Flexibility and telecommuting can help in both respects. A willingness to recruit remote workers expands the potential talent pool, especially when it comes to millennials who expect flexibility. Statistics also show that flex workers are more satisfied, and thus, less likely to leave a company. Furthermore, companies that offer flexibility generate good word of mouth, both internally and externally, which can help with recruitment and retention.
Flexible work options improve morale.
Workers who can telecommute occasionally or otherwise participate in flexible work plans tend to be healthier, both physically and emotionally. According to The Sloan Center on Aging & Work at Boston College, a study of more than 19,000 employees at nine different companies showed that stress and burnout were lower among workers who had workplace flexibility. Evidence also suggests that flexibility is good for the brain, leading to happier workers who are also more creative. And it may help you build bridges among the different generations in your workforce, reducing the bad feelings and poor morale that can result when millennials, Generation X workers, and baby boomers don’t see eye-to-eye.
Flexible work options are eco-friendly.
In addition to helping workers feel better and more productive, telecommuting can also help your company be part of reducing climate change. Eliminating or cutting back on daily commutes reduces pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Properly using videoconferencing and other remote communication tools can help companies reduce business travel, which also cuts pollution. People who work from home also use less electricity, fewer supplies, and less office equipment, reducing waste. If your business wants to be environmentally friendly, flexibility should be part of its culture.
Flexible work options are cost-effective.
As mentioned, flexibility usually leads to improvements in employee recruitment and retention. Since hiring and training new workers is expensive, this is an obvious cost benefit to a business. But companies that embrace telecommuting may also save money on the purchase or leasing off office space, since they’ll need fewer cubicles for on-site workers. Work flexibility also tends to reduce employee absenteeism, and it can allow companies to more easily match their payrolls to seasonal or other shifts in employment, bringing additional cost benefits. Finally, when a company’s employees can work from home, that business doesn’t have to worry about losing productivity when a huge power outage hits the office, or a storm or other natural disaster prevents travel.
It’s clear that the benefits of telecommuting and other flexible work options extend to both businesses and workers. And as companies embrace these options, life gets better for everyone.
As Sutton Fell says in the video, “Working shouldn’t mean that you don’t have a life. Working shouldn’t mean that you can’t do well at your life.”
If you agree, it’s time to act.
Show your support for work flexibility by joining the 1 Million for Work Flexibility movement today.
photo credit: thinkstockphotos.com
Please note: This post has been updated since its original publication date of Jan 7 2014.
I couldn’t agree with you more.
Telecommuting doesn’t just benefit the employees but also the employer or the owner of the business. It gives small businesses a chance to hire an exceptional talent without having to compete with huge companies. The most talented people are hired by huge giants and there is nothing left for those companies who can’t afford what they can offer. It’s also the same level of difficulty when you’re company is located on a small town where there simply is not the availability of talent that you are looking for.
If it’s okay, I also want to share an equally informative article on how telecommuting is a positive force: http://www.staff.com/blog/is-your-company-crazy-not-to-offer-remote-work/
Thanks so much for your comment Eina, and for the great point that having a remote work force means a much wider talent pool!
You’re welcome, Emma! 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to reply to my comment.
Working from home is really cost effective and, not only that, you could also make the most out of the time from the start of your shift to the last second of it. No more public commuting, no need to buy lunch.
Tell me again how the employer benefits??? Where are the employer savings of nearly $11,000 annually??? I work for a large system engineering firm and there has to be people in the office, so the lights and the heat/air conditioning, the rental space, etc. still have to be paid. I want to see the person who ran the study that claims people work more hours from home than in the office. I want to see that person and ask them where they got their data. Ridiculous. I work nine hour days and get every other Friday off. I am a serious-minded, hard-working, dedicated employee with very strong ethical values. I know, for a fact, if I was allowed to work from home, I would be taking small breaks all the time to do this or that or things that need to get done around the house, I know it and I am serious about my ethics. I put in my time at the office and I am serious about working when I am in the office. I find this study highly questionable and I mean highly questionable.
Hi JDB,
It sounds like you’ve identified that working from home wouldn’t be the best option for you. But there is lots of research that shows that when implemented properly, flexibility in the form of telecommuting has great benefits for both employees and employers. It wouldn’t make sense to force everyone to work from home if that’s not where they do their best work. But many people find that they work better when they have control over their environment and don’t have to juggle the regular interruptions, noise, and distractions of the office. If you’d like to see some of the research behind this, please check out the “Business Case” section of our blog, here, and this post in particular: The Business Case: How Work Flexibility Can Help Companies Save Money. Thanks for your interest!
Thanks Emma, appreciate the response. My point to the discussion was simply the fact that the employee is really and truly the one who benefits in teleworking, not the employer. William above makes the statement that teleworking is really cost effective. Cost effective to whom? To the employee, not the employer. The benefits are all on the side of the employee. I must be from another planet or something as I appear to be the only worker on the face of the earth that would find it difficult to stay on topic, on my computer, in my home office for the full nine hours of the work day when the things of my family life were right there in front of me. I am sure I am the only worker in the world that would want to play with my dog or take a ride on my motorcycle or take the jetski out. I guess I just am the only prospective telework candidate without the discipline needed to keep the nine hours in my home office. I say this tongue planted firmly in cheek because I know people who telework who are on the golf course or running errands or taking walks in the park; everything but staying in the home office. You think I am kidding, but I know this personally and have experienced it, more than once.
JDB, may I respond. When I worked for an employer telecommuting was allowed.
You are right, it alliwed me too run errands, take a walk, make dr. appointments etc, but it also allowed me to work at my best and the hours that worked for me, even if it was 11:00 at night or 4:00 in the morning. The employer actually did get more hours and better quality work out of me because I could work when it was best for me. I never missed a meeting and I was always available for my staff. I even allowed my staff to work from home and their work quality improved and was completed in a more timely manner.
Yes, I even did my laundry while working from home, forced me to get up from my desk versus sitting all day without a break, therefore, I was also healthier. These are just examples that worked for me.
Yes, it does take discipline when working from home and many people do not have that ability, but that doesn’t mean they are less of an employee. I had one employee who could not work from home, her work would never get done.
Everyone is different and for you it may not work. And yes, it can actually benefit the employer because the employee will be happier and healthier creating less stress and missed work.
Good luck to you.
I currently work from home 100 percent. In companies prior, i lived and worked in los angeles where the average commute time to and from work was 3 hours a day (1.5 each way). You can sit in your car for 3 hours and waste time, or you could be online as soon as you wake up and ready to work. Not to mention, if you work from home you can live in affordable cities, you don’t have to live in crowded urban areas that cost a premium to live too. Not to mention, when i was in an office, i had a bunch of people stop by my desk daily wanting to chat and waste time vs at home it’s focused work. Sure there are things to do around the house but you have control over when you choose to do them, at work if someone stops by your desk to chat, you can’t exactly tell them to buzz off : )
Flexibility is definitely one of the greatest perks of working from home. Even if you do have a set schedule, ysave so very much time in the commute and in the settling in. The key to saving that time is discipline however. Without disciple, you end up watching Netflix or doing the laundry all day. Great article. Thanks .