Remote Work Is Here to Stay – Here’s How to Get It Right

In today’s rapidly changing workplace, more and more employees are working remotely –recent surveys found that an overwhelming 99% of employees said they wanted to work from home at least some of the time, and 76% said they'd be more loyal to their employers if they had flexible work options. A two-year study by Stanford University found that remote working leads to “astonishing productivity”, an overall 50% decrease in attrition, and the disappearance of sick-days; proving that remote working is a positive evolution and not just a trend.

The Rise of Remote Working 

According to Buffer's 2019 statistics, 70% of employees around the world are already working from home at least once per week and 53% work remotely for at least half of the week, while surveyed businesses showed a large statistical shift in the way they view remote employment:

Photos courtesy of Buffer

In addition to that, research found that U.S. companies made approximately $5 billion in cost savings just by allowing employees to work remotely part-time, and prevented 3.6 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions from entering the atmosphere as a result of less commuting. Granted, it’s a “cost-effective way to retain” your best people.

Out of Sight, Out of Mind 

And even though these statistics and a Forbes report calling remote work no longer a perk in itself, but “standard operating procedure for 50% of the U.S. population” might imply that employers are adapting to accommodate their remote workforce, it seems that the ‘out of sight, out of mind’ approach still prevails. 

A Harvard study polled 1,153 employees, and 52% said they work -at least some of the time- from their home office; and when they do, they feel left out and not treated equally. And let’s admit it, most businesses view “remoteness” as a reward in and of itself, not realizing that every time they reward staff that are only in the local office, they're sending a not-so-subtle message that team members in other locations aren't as highly valued.

One-Size-Fits-All. Or Does it?  

So when you’re thinking of employee benefits, we highly recommend designing your rewards for the remote team first, which will naturally work for the entire team. 

Remember, working remotely means that employees are probably going to have different priorities as a result of their increased flexibility and their unique productivity requirements. More travel where they can see the world and still work every day without taking leave? Better tech gadgets to make their remote work even more efficient? Who knows? 

To take the guesswork out of your rewarding choices, give your employees the flexibility and freedom to decide what they want most. A reward that will surely please each and every one of your employees -remote or not.