How Both Businesses and Employees are Benefiting From the Growing Telecommuting Trend

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There is a growing trend in the American workforce and modern business environment. According to Global Work Analytics, in 2012 there were about 3.3 million Americans who consider their homes as their primary workplace.

This trend is not about to slow down. In a March post from Go Employed, they believe that 2015 and the succeeding years will be all about workplace flexibility where the rigid 9 to 5 working hours are starting to become a thing of yesterday. Now, more and more companies are letting their employees work away from the office.

This trend would have been very difficult to implement in the 90s but with the development of different technologies to facilitate communications and collaboration from multiple locations. There are various business VoIP service providers like BroadConnect USA to connect employer and employees; there are different project management software like Glip to get every team member on the same page; and there are even free cloud storage apps like Box and Dropbox to facilitate file sharing.

The benefits for employers do not stop there. Here are a couple more advantages that businesses enjoy when they allow their employees to telecommute:

Smaller office
Because telecommuting employees are not in the physical office, business owners do not have to allot space for them in the office. As a result, business owners do not need to rent out a big office. They can now get a smaller office and save on rent. There are even instances where some businesses do not bother with an actual physical office at all. With all their employees working remotely, the business owner can also work from home as well. With that setup, the whole team can work in an entirely virtual office.

Save on equipment and utilities
Most telecommuting employees use their own device to do their jobs. This gives business owners more savings as they do not have to allot a portion of their budget in purchasing computers and office furniture like computer desks and chairs. In addition, business owners also save on utility expenses like electricity and water as telecommuting employee’s use their own utilities while at home. Some business owners provide laptops or subsidize Internet subscriptions but even with those expenses, they still get big savings.
The best part is that telecommuting setup is not only beneficial to employers; employees who work at home also get tons of benefits by working remotely. Here are some advantages for employees:

No more commute
As an employee, the worst part of the day is often the commute to and from work. Employees have to wake up early, drive through traffic, and experience the first-hand pollution. When you work from home, you can wake a bit later because you do not have to spend time on the road. You can jump straight to work while eating breakfast. This way you are much well-rested and have more energy to be more productive in your work. Planet Earth is also very grateful as you do not add to the increasing carbon emission because you are no longer driving your car as much.

Increased savings
When you work at home, you save on fare if you are commuting or gas and parking if you are driving. In addition, you no longer have to eat out every day because you can now eat with your family. You also save on laundry because you no longer have to dress nicely. All in all, you do not have to incur the usual expenses of working in an actual office but still continue working.

Independent working environment
When asked about the ideal working environment, a lot of job seekers normally answer that they want a workplace that allows them to work independently. When you are working from home that is exactly what the situation will be. There will not be much supervision because you are working away from your bosses. With the benefit of being allowed to work away from the office, employers also give their trust that you will be able to perform your duties with minimal to no supervision.

More time with family

The best part of being able to work from home is that you also get to be with your family more. You get to eat with them and spend your free time with them. While it is not advisable to have your family present when you are actually working because they can serve as a distraction, it is still nice to step out of your working area and see them immediately. No more waiting to get off work and enduring long commutes to see your family, you get instant gratification.

This is especially beneficial to the more than 12 million single parents in the US who have trouble finding someone to take care of their kids while they get to work. In this setup, they do not even have to get a nanny. They can work while taking care of their kid.