Enjoy working from home
Working from home is made possible by technology: the internet, cloud storage, and smartphones. Working in a virtual environment is now a reality. This way of working allows employees to work in a comfortable and familiar environment without sacrificing productivity.
Opinions on the concept of working from home are still divided. Nevertheless, more and more companies are convinced of the advantage that teleworking offers; partly because a large number of flex workers are convinced of the positive impact of working from home on productivity and employee retention.
In 2012 Microsoft conducted a study on homework: “Work Without Walls”. The top 10 below shows the benefits of working from home from an employee’s point of view. Most points go without saying, but let’s take a look at why people enjoy working from home:
1. Environmentally friendly (23%)
Logically, home workers are more at home than on their way to their workplace. Therefore, they not only save fuel costs, they also help to reduce air pollution by not taking the road. There is also evidence that home workers consume fewer bottles of water and that they print less and therefore use less paper than when they work in the office. This may be a simple example of saving, but when done on a larger scale, working from home has a positive effect on improving the environment and preserving our planet.
2. More time with family (29%)
Employees who work from home have more flexibility in organizing their day than the traditional 9-17 employees in the office. This gives them the opportunity to organize their work schedule in such a way that it fits perfectly into busy family life. Working from home means that there is hardly any chance of missing a family dinner, having to work overtime, or having to be stuck in traffic for a long time.
3. Less stress (38%)
Obviously, when you can both spend time with your family and work, the daily routine becomes less stressful and easier to oversee. Working from home also gives employees the opportunity to work at times that suit them best. This means that employees can choose to work when they are most effective, some early in the morning and others in the evening. It also gives peace of mind to work without a boss looking over your shoulder, without office gossip or uncomfortable office furniture.
4. Quiet working environment (43%)
Not every worker who works from home has noisy children running around. Almost half of the participants in this study indicate that the home environment is much quieter than the working environment in the office. Small things such as the possibility to set up your own workspace , privacy and silence are more difficult to obtain in a busy office.
5. No travel time (44%)
By working from home, employees don’t waste time on work-related issues such as traveling to the workplace. According to Yacht, 42% of Dutch employees are on the road for at least half an hour to get to the workplace. If you calculate this, an average employee therefore wastes at least 5 hours a week traveling to his workplace. Fortunately, this time can be better spent by home workers doing fun things with family or friends!
6. Less distraction (44%)
Many home workers believe they are less distracted when working from home. This would have to do with not having to answer constant phone calls, a stream of emails or customers coming in. As a result, a controlled work environment at home gives them more time to focus on work tasks.
7. Higher productivity (45%)
A study by Stanford University shows that employees who work from home are 12% more effective and 50% more satisfied with their jobs than colleagues who work in the office. These figures show that working from home actually produces higher productivity.
8. Avoidance of traffic jams (47%)
Working from home is perhaps the best way to avoid being stuck in traffic. Many know how a traffic jam can cause stress. Fortunately, this does not bother home workers, they don’t have to drag through the daily traffic jam and they don’t have to feel rushed because of the lack of parking spaces at their destination.
9. Save on fuel costs (55%)
In addition to avoiding traffic jams, the lack of having to travel to the workplace also provides a huge boost for the wallet. Check out what you could buy from the amount of fuel saved by working from home!
10. Work-life balance (60%)
The absolute number 1 reason why people find working from home ideal is the perfect balance between work and private life. Working from home makes it possible to take the children to school, have a cup of coffee with friends, all while being rewarded for it both financially and personally.
