Three Reasons to Let Your Employees Work Remotely

Whether you’re seeking to bolster your argument on the benefits of telecommuting, or a skeptic interested in more info, here are some of the top reasons to consider allowing your team to work remotely.

Increases Productivity

Research suggests that working from home increases employee productivity. Studies from Intel and Dell found that significant numbers of employees reported less stress and more sleep — both important factors in helping employees function effectively. One of the bigger case studies comes from a Chinese travel agency called Ctrip. According to this study, remote workers were 13.5 percent more productive than their office counterparts. They also quit 50 percent less and were happier on the job.

One caveat? Research suggests working from home works best for hourly workers and/or workers who have specific performance metrics they are evaluated by. By investing in web-based time attendance software that offers flexible punching and job costing, employees can clock in remotely and provide notes on what they plan on working on for the day. When they clock out, they can note what they’ve accomplished, essentially working daily progress reports into their punches. Punches can then be reviewed by the supervisor and employee, providing regular opportunities for review and opening a dialogue about productivity during shifts.

Boosts Engagement

You don’t need to be in the office to be engaged with your workplace, research suggests. Gallup’s State of the American Workplace study came as a shock to many managers and HR professionals, with its abysmal stats on worker satisfaction; however, it had some great news regarding remote workers. Remote workers were more engaged than their in-office counterparts–so much so that they actually logged an additional 4 hours per week on average.  Actively engaged employees stay with companies longer and are more productive.

To keep your remote workers engaged, establish regular contact with your employees, and work on developing your employee-supervisor relationship just as you would in the office. Utilize the human touches that come with today’s employee time tracking software, like photo sharing.

Cost-Effective

Interested in cutting back on office costs? Allowing employees to work from home is one way to save serious cash. The Chinese travel website Ctrip gave the staff at their call center the opportunity to work from home for nine months. At the end of the study, the company calculated that it had saved approximately $1,900 per employee on furniture and space — even without factoring in the boosted productivity.

Less in-house workers mean a smaller brick and mortar office, lower utility costs, less furniture (i.e. desks, chairs), and fewer office supplies. What’s more, in today’s day and age, nearly everyone has their own laptop or desktop PC, making many computer-based occupations possible to work from any location. Company software like time and attendance can be moved to the cloud for easy punch access company-wide, wherever, whenever. Customizable options like FingerCheck are easily adaptable to a wide range of organizational structures.

All things considered, telecommuting arrangements have their own benefits, even in an office where employees work remotely for a few days a week. Not only can employees save on commuting expenses, uniforms, childcare, and more, employers can also save on workplace costs while maintaining a productive workforce. It’s a win-win!