Working from home wouldn’t be this popular if it didn’t have the perks to enjoy. In fact, it has become so popular that most people are shifting from traditional office jobs to freelancing and work-from-home set up. According to FlexJob’s 8th annual survey, of the more than 7,300 respondents, 30% of them have reported leaving a job because it lacked flexible work options. While 16% are looking for a job because of the same reason, 80% of employees say they are more loyal to their employers if they were offered flexible work options. Additionally, 49% expressed that they are more productive when they work from their home office.
With these figures, we can easily conclude that working from home is a good option. Aside from feeling comfortable and enjoying the absence of office dynamics, here are some more benefits that mums can get from working from home.
1. You can enjoy flexible schedules
Need to start early in the morning while the kids are still in bed or late at night when the kids are already in bed? You can do that pretty much so. Need to run errands in the middle of the day? Go ahead and offset the time later in the evening. Lunch break with the kids? No problem. You can even bring your lunch anywhere so long as you have what you need for work like your laptop and wifi device.
2. You can work anywhere
Working from home doesn’t limit you to working only at home. Wherever it’s convenient for you, you can certainly do your work there. You can use a spare room, set up a small corner, or work in the den if you wish. And for those days when you need a new environment, take your work to the beach and enjoy the breeze and the sun. Just make sure you really spend the time working instead of lazing or swimming.
3. You don’t have to deal with commuting and the stress that comes with it
Commuting can be a struggle, especially if you live in a city that has a poor transportation system. In the US alone, it takes an average of 27.1 minutes to get to work, which means total commute time takes about an hour every day. However, if you’re working from home, you won’t have to spend this extra hour outside the house. The moment you wake up, you can head straight to your workspace without delay.
4. You can be healthier
Working from home means having more control of your time, which can lead to healthier eating habits and work and life balance. Eating healthier, combined with spending more time with the family, can significantly reduce stress and help you become more productive. Plus, you can opt to go to the gym, do yoga at home, or simply enjoy a quick walk around the garden anytime.
5. You can focus more on work
Unlike in the office, there are no office dynamics at home. There is no chatty co-worker who keeps talking to you while munching peanuts. Your kids or pets might make a bit of noise, but you can certainly choose a more secluded area in the house to make that phone call, right? It’s better than looking for a conference room where you can work in peace.
Benefits of working from home for employers
Working from home is not only beneficial to mums and employees. It also offers advantages to employers. Here are some of those.
1. It’s cost-efficient
Having employees work from home reduces overhead expenditures since it eliminates the need to rent a big office space and purchase office supplies and equipment. With this setup, employees can use their own phone lines, internet connection, and laptop computers for work. Companies can save on power bills and break room coffee and snacks.
2. It reduces employee turnover
As working from home makes healthier, more satisfied, and loyal employees, turnover is lower. This cultivates an increasing degree of knowledge among employees to make businesses grow.
3. It forges stronger communication and collaboration among teams
With today’s technology, there are numerous software systems to use for communication and collaboration. Some are subscription-based while others are free or offer free trials. By using these platforms, employees can communicate in real time and reach out to every single member of the team wherever they are located. There are also time tracking software platforms for companies who prefer to track their employees’ activities and time.
4. It saves money on team building events
With everyone working from home and in different locations all over the globe, companies can skip team building events and instead spend the budget on high-impact areas. There’s no need to spend on birthday or going-away parties. However, they can still do this type of activities online through conference calls. Hey, make the best of available technology!
Working from home brings positive effects on both employee and employer, which should be more than enough reason to try it.
