6 Top Reason Why Remote Work is the Future

Recent studies, mostly on American shores, have figured out that working from an office is a big stress-contributing factor; dampening a day’s work with traffic-filled commutes, useless office banter, inflexible working hours and the feeling that you’re being watched all day. Over the past five years, 50% of companies in the US promote the majority of their teams to work remotely for a number of reasons; primarily to:

1. save money
2. work anywhere
3. spend time with family
4. be more productive
5. improve mental health
6. be environmentally sustainable
7. spend time with pets
8. spend less on rent
9. start a family
10. care for their families

But is remote work where our future is heading or is this just a trend that is taking over for the time being? The answers are unclear, but the truth is that working from home does get you more quality contact hours with your tasks at hand. It is also so much easier to manage your work-life balance; making sure you’re excelling in your career and spending time with your loved ones. Here are six top reasons why remote work should be considered as an option for you:

Get out of the traffic

One of the biggest downfalls of getting yourself to the office, apart from the morning ‘getting ready’ routine, is the traffic. So after you’ve spent a good 45 minutes trying to look presentable for the office, you crumple your shirt and lose the entire charm of your outfit! Bummer!

According to the National Statistics Office in the UK, commuters generally have lower life satisfaction and find that their efforts are at times worthless. This in turn conditions happiness and anxiety levels; resulting in an unfulfilled lifestyle. Working remotely can help make every minute count, every action worthwhile and every working day productive.

Give the xanny a rest

Being in charge of your own time gives you a sense of empowerment, a feeling of freedom that encourages you to get more work done and be in control of the day. Having superiors breath down your neck, or members of your team check in with you periodically can really throw you off your game and into the anxiety game you’re hoping to avoid.

People who work from home are generally 25% less stressed, they are free to work in their own space, at their own pace and in their own time – hey, they can even work in their pajamas if they want to. Flexibility and freedom allows the mind to relax, this can work wonders for creative jobs!

Get more bang for your buck

Money. The most important part of actually getting to work – besides the job satisfaction and overall feeling of success in life – is the pay slip at the end of the month. There are so many ways we can scrimp and save in the month to make ends meet but there’s a massive factor that needs to be considered. Commuting.

Commuting is a costly practice; it costs the Earth a great deal of CO₂ emissions and it costs employees a good €300 per month – that’s a lot! Granted you can get an apartment closer to the office; but that may also mean living in the heart of the city where costs are too high or in an industrial area where life is quite dull. A walk to your home office is free and it’s way more cost-effective for you and your employer.

Get yourself the best, and only the best

There’s a massive pool of potential out there and the possibilities are absolutely endless! This one goes out to the recruiters, the progressive ones who believe that work can be done outside the office walls.

When you opt for freelancers or remote workers to join your team, you are adopting a new creative mind, a new way of organisation and a new set of skills that may not fit into the rigidity of the office but could be vital for the team. Don’t be hesitant in employing someone remotely, give them a trial run, test the waters.

Work from anywhere… see the world

Working remotely means you can work from anywhere in the world. You can work from your neighbourhood café with the killer latte and decent music playlist or you could work from the WiFi equipped terrace of your Bali hotel, the world is your oyster and you have the flexibility to explore it.

While there will be time zone issues, at times connectivity problems and other factors to consider, the adventure is worth the slight hiccups. Always have internet backup by means of a roaming package, inform your clients that you will be working alternate hours and be sure to give yourself enough time to fully enjoy your surroundings.

Appreciate the real moments

Being away from home and tucked in a tight cubicle in your open office takes so much more than your sanity away from you. It turns you away from your family and loved ones and even causes you to miss out on some pinnacle moments.

Now, unless you work for a company that’s entirely flexible and willing to grant you sporadic time off, you may want to turn that so-called home gym into a home office and get your work done while watching your kids grow up.

If you weigh out the pros and cons, there are many reasons pointing towards a remote job that keeps you in the house. But the first things you’ll need to ask yourself are; will you focus in the house, will you manage to separate work from play, does your home provide a good working environment and will you miss office life?

If you think you’re cut out for the remote lifestyle, you may want to have a serious discussion with your managers, get a feel for their opinions on working away from the office. You never know you might be working on your next project while touring the world.