Working from home is one solution to work during a pandemic and avoid having to close your business for a few weeks. There is still a large group of entrepreneurs who look down on the home office. But the research data may mean a change in their thinking. Let’s take a look at them.
47% of those who work from home say they are very satisfied with the way they live and work. In contrast, only 27% of employees value working from the office.
In the study, 82% percent of those who work from home said their stress has decreased.
Let’s stay with contentment. In the study, 82% percent of those who work from home said their stress has decreased. For some respondents, the fact that they do not have to meet with colleagues weighed in. For others, the stress level has been reduced just by being at home and being able to create a suitable and pleasant environment for their work.
Many people want to work from home because it gives them more flexibility, they feel they are more productive, they can save money or they just want to avoid commuting. Commuting to work takes dozens of minutes of time that is “deaf” to the employee.
Working from home is also environmentally friendly, as the amount of fuel consumed is significantly reduced. This is especially true in larger cities at peak times.
According to a UK study, working from home can save employers up to €3.7 billion and reduce emissions of three million tonnes of carbon dioxide.
Business owners fear reduced productivity. But the opposite is true. Trip.com, one of the world’s largest travel agencies, has launched a randomised, controlled trial of working from home. The results? Employees who worked from a home office were 13 percent more efficient than their colleagues working from an office.
The myth that employees work shorter hours from home than their office colleagues is also a scarecrow. More than half of employees work from home more than the “prescribed” 40 hours per week.
If colleagues could choose between a higher salary or working from home, up to a quarter of people would opt for a home office, even if it means a lower salary for them. It is a surprising fact that people value flexibility and working outside the office more than money.
How about social networks? It has been shown that remote workers spend about an hour a day on social media, even though they may not hide their activity from their boss or other colleagues. Is it a lot? Productivity is key for an entrepreneur, and if that has increased by an average of 4-13%, then it’s possible to turn a blind eye to social networking during working hours.
Most of these facts confirm that working from home has great advantages. Employees are happier, healthier, contributing to saving the planet, while being more productive and engaged with their employer.
