Employers are in unprecedented times. The pandemic has changed everything employees know about how they work and what they’re entitled to. Perks and benefits are some of the key methods to retaining staff and keeping morale happy within the workplace. One benefit that has been noticeably used all over the world is remote working or working from home. Remote working is simply giving employees the opportunity to do their work within the comfort of their own home or wherever they are located. This has been widely talked about, but how true is it that remote working can make you happier? Read on to find out.
Happiness in work = Happiness in life
A study conducted by Forbes Magazine noted that 27% of someone’s happiness in life can be directly related back to how happy they are within the workplace. It is also noted that the same study conducted with the same participants, said that all of the candidates who worked from home in the survey, were 20% happier on average compared to those that had to work in the office.
Commute Times
According to several surveys, the average commute time for employees to get to their work and then back home is around 40 minutes each way. Employees don’t appreciate this when they’re forced to work in the office and this can be seen in studies as average happiness scores are steady up until employees have to travel over 1 hour to get to their place of employment, after that, the score rapidly decreases. Employees that have the opportunity to work from home are able to save themselves the everyday hassle of rush hour traffic, and expensive public transport and most importantly, they can feel good that they are helping to reduce the carbon footprint of the planet.
Saving money
As previously mentioned, remote working can save you a lot of money and inevitably make you happier about your money management skills. What exactly can you save money on?
- Commuting – This is one of the most obvious ways that you will save money and is something that we spoke about earlier. Cutting down the amount of money you’re spending on public transport and petrol is one of the most satisfying feels, as you are able to see a huge difference in your bank balance.
- Clothes – Office culture can sometimes be a bit daunting, especially if you’re new to a very corporate business. Going to work and comparing yourself to others causes anxiety and give you a tendency to purchase items of clothing to ‘fit in’ with others. By remote working, you are able to sit around in what you feel most comfortable with and feel at peace knowing that you don’t have to compete.
- Eating – This is one that I’m sure everyone is guilty of. On top of travelling to work costs, employees are partial to going out for lunch or grabbing a cheeky coffee in the morning and then maybe one at lunchtime. Over the weeks, months and even years, this adds up to a substantial amount. Remote working allows you to purchase a weekly shop that consists of dinners and lunches. Both of which can be extremely affordable and most importantly, healthy. The health aspect is something that remote workers should be excited about, as they are in complete control of the food that is in front of them.
Safety
Although the peak of the COVID-19 virus is *Hopefully* dying away, it is still there. Some employees know this and are still wary about this somewhat, unknown disease. This is completely understandable, some of these employees may have to look after individuals who are vulnerable to the virus or they themselves may be vulnerable. Employers must take this into consideration when and if they are asking these employees to come back to the office. Employees that know they can be trusted to work from home and know in their hearts their employer wants them to be safe, then they will be a lot happier.
Work-life balance
Work-life balance is crucial in any role. This simply means that you must equally share the amount o time and effort that you are putting into one as you are the other. Remote working allows employees to be flexible with their time. They can drop kids off at the school, run errands, attend online fitness classes and be home for delivery men/tradesmen. These are just some examples of activities that would make any parent/adult’s life easier if they had someone free at home to do it for them. Some of these can even be done during a lunch break, meaning that no time is being taken away from your work. Finishing at 5 and having no commute time to go out for dinner or meet a friend, allows for maximum work-life balance and is guaranteed to increase happiness in an employee.
Let us help you find a job that offers remote or hybrid working today. Contact us now.