Remote work is probably one of the most contentious topics to infiltrate the workplace in recent years, with some CEOs willing to go to war with their employees on the matter.
While many companies are happy to allow their staff to work from home, others have threatened workers with the sack if they don’t turn up to the office.
At tech.co, we think remote and hybrid work is nothing but a win-win for both employee and employer. If you want to make the jump to working from home, here’s five solid reasons to help you make that argument to your manager.
1. You’ll be More Productive
There’s a lot of misconceptions about remote workers, primarily it seems from CEOs. Among them, the likes of Elon Musk, who has claimed that remote workers are lazy, and unproductive. He’s so adamant about this that Tesla and X employees aren’t given the privilege of home working.
But, is Elon right? Well no. Add this to the long list titled ‘Things Elon Musk Has Got Wrong’.
There have been many, many studies that show productivity actually increases when employees are allowed to work from home.
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A tech.co exclusive study revealed that 64% of remote businesses report high productivity levels compared to 54% of in-office businesses. Check out the full report. Another study conducted by ConnectSolutions found that productivity was up 77% among remote workers, with 30% saying they actually achieved more in less time.
Need more? Ok, how about this:
A 2022 study by OwlLabs into remote work, found that 62% of remote workers surveyed stated that they were 62% more productive.
Another one? No problem:
A RingCentral survey, that polled over 1,000 full time workers, reported that 59% stated they were more productive, compared to those in office, who reported 34% increased productivity.
It’s not hard to find the numerous studies that highlight productivity among remote workers. Why not find your favourite and send it over to your boss? Unless he’s Elon Musk, of course.
2. You’ll Live Longer
How well this one goes over depends on how much your manager likes you.
The value of sleep to our health has been long established, so it makes sense that if you’re working from home, you can justify not getting up early for the commute, and spending a bit more precious time between the sheets.
A study in 2022, by Bloom, Han and Liang showed a strong correlation between remote working and getting more sleep.
This is great news for remote workers (and their bosses), as separate studies, such as this one published by PLOS Medicine, show that those aged 50+ who sleep five hours or less, had a 30% higher risk of chronic illness compared to those catching seven plus hours of shut eye a night.
Imagine your life without the commute to the office, and how much more precious sleep you could be catching up on.
3. You’ll Put in More Hours
Are you a clock-watcher when it comes to being in the office? As the end of the day approaches, are you already packing up your things and aiming to make a dash for the door at 5pm?
What if you didn’t need to rush to try and beat other commuters in traffic, or worry about squeezing onto the slightly less crowded train? Studies have shown that when freed from the restraints of the typical work day, workers choose to work longer. Surely music to any bosses ears?
Here’s the data to back that up. A report published by the National Bureau of Economics found that US workers who worked remotely saved, on average, 55 minutes a day on their commute.
And how did they choose to spend this saved time? Working. Well, some of it anyway. The study found that on average users spent 42% of this time on work, with 35% spent on leisure time, and 8% caregiving.
As if that wasn’t compelling enough, another study found that remote workers were more likely to put in hours even when they were sick or on annual leave.
4. The Company Will do Better
Picture the scene. You grab five minutes with your manager, and want to make the best argument possible for working from home. What better opener than ‘me working at home will help the business grow’? Well, maybe you should start with ‘hello’, but this is definitely something we feel you should kick off your pitch with.
A study by Flex Index showed that in a 12 month period, companies with between 500 and 1500 employees who offered hybrid work, grew twice as fast as those that didn’t.
Another study, by Scoop, found that fully flexible public companies significantly outperformed their peers in revenue growth by 16 percentage points. In addition, companies with a flexible hybrid approach, outperformed rigid office-based competitors by 13%
If your boss is fretting about the growth of the company, the solution could well start with letting you work from the comfort of your own home…
5. It Could Save the Planet
Many companies in 2024 are drastically looking to lower their carbon footprint, from reducing the need to print and going all-in on digital, all the way to creating brand new office spaces that put eco needs first, and lean heavily into alternative energy sources.
If your company is one of these (and lets face it, it should be!), then there’s a very quick solution you can offer to your boss that will allow them to alleviate some of the guilt they feel about their company’s impact on the planet.
That solution is (drum roll please) working from home! I mean, of course it, after all, that’s what this whole article is about, but trust us, we can help you back it up with actual science.
A study from peer-reviewed journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) in 2023 found that “remote workers could have a 54% lower carbon footprint compared to onsite workers.”
Not only that, but hybrid workers that are working from home between two and four days per week could also cut emissions by between 11% and 29%.
It’s not too hard to see why fewer cars on the road, and less people in the office would help lower carbon emissions. We think it’s one of the strongest arguments you can make for remote working!
Ready for that conversation? To give yourself the best chance, make sure to take a look at our guide on how to ask to work remotely, and head into that meeting feeling confident about your future!
