When considering remote work, it is easy to forget how many benefits there are from working outside of the office. Most remote workers do it from their home although a few work from a coffee shop or (ugh) mall.
The benefits are amazing:
- Work freedom – sick child? No problem…working from home solves the problem of trying to find someone to take care of your little one. In addition, it is hard to focus on work when you are in an office and the child is sick at home with a babysitter. Freedom for a service person that needs to fix the furnace, fridge, hot water heater, stove, roof, natural gas, plumbing, electric system, or hot tub. Plus, you don’t have a manager staring over your shoulder to make sure you are working.
- 30-second commute – It is so great to walk from your bedroom to a home office and start working. No commuting and fighting the lanes with the other road warriors. No racing to get into the office so you don’t miss that important meeting. No being hit by another commuter who could not figure out you had stopped – or they were writing a novel on their phone.
- Save money on vehicles – with remote work, you may be able to reduce the number of cars in your garage. Maybe you will need just one car. Even if you have a car for yourself and your spouse, you are saving on gas and other costs. The IRS figures you spend at least $.55 per mile to use your vehicle. The American Automobile Association figures it will cost you about $.77 per mile. Ouch!
- Focus – believe me…sitting by yourself working on a project is so great! The ability to focus is amazing! No interruptions. Long stretches of focus. In an article about losing focus, FastCompany, found that it could take over 23 minutes to get back on task after an interruption!
- Productivity – This is a result of the ability to focus as it gets easier to pound out the work. I have heard from executives that were surprised that remote workers got so much done.
- Ecology – You can have a great positive impact on the Ecology by not running your vehicle back and forth everyday. Your company does not build as much office space. Reduced heating and cooling for offices. Fewer roads built with fewer commuters. You don’t need to live in a crowded city.
- Work from anywhere – One the most amazing benefits of the Internet is the ability to remotely work from anywhere there is an Internet connection. There is actually a company that is based on getting an employee to go anywhere in the world and continues their work. Remote Year has some fantastic ideas of where you can hang out and still earn a living!
- Supporting Families – Whether you are married, a single parent, or a single person without children but need to take care of aging parents, remote work is a lifesaver. It can allow you to continue your work yet be available to your family as needed. This can mean a reduction or elimination of childcare costs. Parents can see their children to school and yet put in a full day. Years ago, when my children were young, I had a situation where the elementary school my youngest child attended didn’t start until 9:15 am and we could not drop off the children early and leave them. To make it worse, every second week, there was early dismissal on Wednesday afternoon. Luckily, I had a very understanding manager and while the remote work option was not available, I was able to adjust my work schedule to take care of my child.
I will discuss these benefits in greater detail in future blog posts.