8 Reasons Why Working from Home Could Be Included as an Employee Benefit
Flexible work arrangements have become a competitive edge among modern companies. As the workforce gets younger, the popularity of remote work will only increase. In addition to attracting and retaining talent, a flexible working model opens your company to a more diverse workforce. Also, you can include remote working in your total compensation statements, thanks to benefits like those listed here.
1. Cost Savings
The costs of commuting to an office add up quickly and eat into any employee’s savings – from gas and car maintenance to professional clothes, laundry expenses, lunch, coffee, etc.
If the company is located in an expensive city, the daily travel and food costs can frustrate your employees. Employees save a lot of money by eating home-cooked meals and wearing casual attire when working from home.
2. Save Time
Employees spend a lot of time getting ready for work in the morning and maneuvering through traffic. Dealing with traffic jams also exhausts people and leaves them dreading the daily commute.
A flexible work model allows workers to get sufficient rest and wake up refreshed and ready for work. Also, they spend less time traveling and can put more energy into work
3. Better Work-Life Balance
Flexible working offers a better work-life balance for employees. The traditional nine-to-five work model is especially ineffective among parents with young children and people taking care of elderly relatives. By working from home, such employees can balance their home and work responsibilities.
Remote working also allows employees to enjoy their hobbies and enjoy more time with family, friends, and pets. If a worker needs a break amid tasks, they can walk around the neighborhood.
4. Comfortable Working Environment
Employees have little say in the setup of company offices. In comparison, a remote worker is free to customize their home office to be as comfy as possible. Employees can use ergonomic furniture, plants, scents, artwork, and lighting fixtures to their home office area and add a luxurious sofa to take breaks in.
5. Eliminate Office Distractions
Employees often struggle to focus amidst various workplace distractions. With chatty coworkers, office celebrations like birthdays, nearby group meetings, printers, and other equipment, the workplace can easily get chaotic. When employees work from home, they control their environment and can eliminate distractions more effectively.
6. Improved Health and Fitness
Working from home has lots of mental health benefits. When employees spend more time caring for family, they are happier and more satisfied. What’s more, remote workers eat more nutritious meals and even get into pursuits like baking bread. As workers accomplish more home and work responsibilities when working their home, they are less anxious.
Since remote employees spend less time commuting, they can dedicate more time to working out and improving their wellness. Also, it is easier to squeeze in walks and daily runs when working from home.
7. Improved Productivity
Lengthy in-person meetings at the office and daily commutes reduce employee productivity. In contrast, working from home means fewer disruptions from colleagues and less traveling. Remote workers have more flexibility to set up their day and define schedules that best work for them. For instance, some people work the best in the morning while others thrive during the night. Also, regular breaks when working from home refreshes employees to tackle their workload.
8. Increased Freedom and Happiness
Remote employees appreciate the freedom to plan their daily life to meet both home and work responsibilities. There is also less stress in remote working, as employees work in a comfortable environment. As a result, workers are happier and more satisfied with their jobs.
Flexible work arrangements have many benefits for employees, including improved mental health, cost savings, and increased job satisfaction. Document these benefits in Total Compensation Reports, like those provided by COMPackage.com, to attract and retain top talent.
Rethink Compensation
Consider rethinking compensation. For example, rather than compensate people primarily for sitting in their office for 40 hours each week, consider tying their compensation to results produced, assuming their position has measurable tasks and/or objectives. See our prior blog on this topic.
