Work from home facts you need to know

Work from home facts you need to know


Working from home, its become a key phrase of our current times. As a result of the covid 19 pandemic, were now into a series of lockdowns. If youre in a similar situation, perhaps youre finding that the initial novelty of long-term working from home is starting to wear off. Its a situation many of us need to get to grips with, a challenge for remote working aficionados and novices alike. Here are some facts about working from home.

 

Remote work improves business continuity

Theres never been a better time to try a new remote workforce. COVID-19 has made the perfect case for why: Business continuity. Outside of essential services, the survival of most businesses has become fully dependent on having remote workers. Going forward, your company will be faced with making some decisions about keeping at least some employees remote to reduce the risks of disruption in the future. Its for this reason, and others, that by 2028, its estimated that 73% of all departments will have remote workers, according to a 2019 study. Thanks to the pandemic, 62% of organizations are shifting more jobs to remote work.

 

Over half of remote employees work more than 40 hours

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You might think that working remotely means that you can work less if your boss is not watching you. But in reality, working from home seems to build trust and honesty if you look at this number. Work from home employees work more than employees in offices. So, it looks like they don’t want to get away from work, but that they enjoy working from home.

Sometimes, remote jobs require a location

The first thing you should know if youre looking for a work-from-home job is that many employers would still require you to live in a certain state or metro area. “People prefer to think of remote jobs as being the same as work from anywhere’ jobs,\" FlexJobs founder and CEO Sara Sutton write on the blog for the job search site. \"While these types of jobs are out there, the reality is that the majority of remote jobs that our researchers (usually about 95 per cent) find actually have geographical requirements for them, whether its a state, city, or even region of the country\", added Sara.

She continues, \"This can be for many reasons, from an employer’s comfort level of having remote workers, to state tax requirements.\"

 

Setting boundaries with friends and family can be a challenge

Telecommuting is on the rise, but most workers in a defined workplace still do their jobs. You may have to set some boundaries if youre the only remote worker in your household. Dont be shocked if your wife (or kid or roommate) thinks you are available to work or to play because youre home. As soon as possible, lay down the ground rules, so that there is no room for misunderstanding about your availability. 

During your lunch breaks, you do not have time to clean the house or run errands between meetings. You certainly shouldnt volunteer to dog-sit or babysit or look at the prize-winning orchid of your mate. On a nightly basis, you wont be able to plan Thanksgiving dinner, only because youre home when other people are commuting.

Youll probably be able to get in a load of laundry now and then until youre used to your new routine. But dont let your newfound liberty become a pit. Again, you may not have as much free time as you thought, and if you do, spending some of that in self-care, not extra chores, is not a bad idea.

 

Remote work helps attract and retain talent

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The days of fancy titles and offices are, for most employees, no longer a motivator. 80% of U.S. workers say theyd pass on an opportunity that didnt offer some form of flexible working arrangement. Almost 80% of respondents in In Crains Future of Work survey cited flexible schedules and telecommuting as the most effective non-monetary way to retain employees. Remote work arrangements are particularly attractive to 84% of millennials, who are already experiencing burnout.

 

Working from Home is Eco-Friendly

Who would’ve thought that working from home is not just great for you but also for the environment? Since there are fewer commuters on their way to work every morning and every evening, they use less fuel. If you want to help save the planet by reducing air pollution, one way to do it is to stay at home and use your car less frequently.

 

Remote work improves productivity and work quality

Productivity is a big concern for many employers. Theres always a concern from managers that remote workers wont work as hard if theyre not in the office being monitored and managed. A 2018 Flexjobs survey reported that 65% of remote employees say they find themselves to be more productive working from home than in a traditional office setting.

 

47% of Telecommuters Are Very Satisfied

According to Remote Global, forty-seven per cent (47%) of those who work from home say that they’re very satisfied with the way they live and work. This is an incredibly huge number compared to 27% of those who are happy in their office jobs. Almost half of the people who work from home are content with their job and don’t want to change the way they work soon.

 

82% of Telecommuters Have Lower Stress Levels

According to the same study by Remote Global, eighty-two per cent (82%) per cent of those who work from home said in a study that their stress level lowered since living this kind of lifestyle. For some of them, the main reasons were that they didn’t like to interact with their co-workers. Other reasons might be that at home you can create an environment that is designed for your needs and experience less interruption throughout the day.

 

25% Would Accept a Reduction in Salary

If asked to choose from a higher salary or working from home, 25% of people would go for the work at home option even if it means a lower salary for them. It’s a surprising fact that people value flexibility and working outside an office more than money.

 

Teleworkers Spend 1 Hour a Day on Social Media

You might think that people who work from home spend more time on Facebook, Twitter, etc. than the ones working from the office because what they do is less visible to others. Telecommuters only spend 1 hour, on average, on social media channels even if they don’t have to hide their activity.

 

Nyasha D Ziwewe is a Business Consultant and Systems developer at Industrial Psychology Consultants. Email: nyasha@ipcconsultants.com. Mobile 0783462251. LinkedIn: Nyasha D Ziwewe


Nyasha Ziwewe
Guest
This article was written by Nyasha a Guest at Industrial Psychology Consultants (Pvt) Ltd

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