Pre-pandemic, there were a lot of negative assumptions about working remotely. First and foremost, employers were worried that their workers would be too distracted by being at home. However, when the pandemic forced a large number of the workforce to stay home, the opposite was found to be true. “Airtasker surveyed 1,004 full-time employees–505 of whom were remote employees–throughout the U.S. about their work habits and productivity. The results indicate that remote workers are actually more productive than their office-based counterparts. The study found the following: 

•   Remote employees work an additional 1.4 more days per month than in-office employees, which is nearly 17 additional workdays a year.

•   Remote employees take longer breaks on average than office employees (22 minutes versus 18 minutes, respectively), but they work an additional 10 minutes a day.

•   Office workers are unproductive for an average of 37 minutes a day, not including lunch or breaks, whereas remote employees are unproductive for only 27 minutes.

•   15% of remote workers said their boss distracted them from work, which is less than the 22% of office-based employees who said the same thing.”

Additionally, the American Psychological Association has said that “remote work can increase employee satisfaction when implemented correctly.”[1] So what does it mean to implement remote work correctly? A lot of it boils down to ensuring that employees have access to the tools necessary to do the work. Video chats, texts, emails, and phone calls ensure that everyone can easily stay in touch. Some companies have also taken the leap to help cover the costs of things like a good internet connection and an updated computer. While it might seem like a lot of cost upfront for employers, it ultimately benefits them in the long run because employers no longer have a need for massive office spaces and the maintenance costs that go along with that. This kind of remote work situation can also be great for employees who then have more freedom with their schedules to create a better work-life balance, and it can give employees the opportunity to pursue side gigs if they so choose.

What are your thoughts on remote work? Have you made the transition over the last few years? Show us your home office setup where you power through your workday with Verve!

[1] Peek, Sean. “Current and Future Trends in Remote Work.” Business News Daily, 1 Dec. 2021, https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/8156-future-of-remote-work.html.