Having optional work-from-home days for your employees can be very beneficial for them and you. While they may not appeal to everyone on your team, those who thrive on independence and want to avoid the daily commute every now and again will jump at the chance. Once you implement a “work from home” structure and ensure that it’s a good fit for your company, the value will quickly become obvious. Here are just a few of the many benefits.
Employee Benefits
Less commute time
Reducing commute time to zero miles can be a massive win for your team. For your team members who commute hours a day, it can be a huge time-saver and a great company perk. Not having to deal with public transportation delays or traffic on even just one day a month can be a huge stress reliever. Having the opportunity to sleep in every now and again won’t hurt either.
Better work-life balance
No one is immune to today’s issues with work-life balance. Having the chance to work from home base can help your employees gain back some of their time and assist with the constant struggle to balance work and family. Happy employees are productive employees, and issues such as burnout and anxiety can be reduced dramatically through the simple work-from-home option.
More time with the family
If finding quality time is an issue for your staff, then reducing their commute on a regular or semi-regular basis will be a huge bonus. When they shut their computer off at five o’clock, they are already at home and can connect immediately with their loved ones. Employee happiness at home translates into workplace happiness.
Fewer distractions
When your team members work in the office, there’s always something to distract them. It could be a knock on their office door, a phone call or something else that takes them away from their all-important work. Working from home will reduce those distractions and enable them to give 100% of their attention to the task at hand.
Benefits for your organization
Productive workers
With no office gossip to ruminate over or morning conversations to distract, you will find that your employees will be more productive. The water cooler banter is reduced to a minimum, and your team will be able to sit down and get straight to work. Once they switch their laptops on in the morning, they’re ready to start the day.
Improvement in staff retention
Having a flexible work environment will help you keep employees for longer and reduce the need for sick days and holiday leave. Any benefit that you can offer to your team will make you a more attractive employer in their eyes. A good working environment, balanced with the extra flexibility of work from home days, will help improve staff retention.
A hiring perk
When word gets out about your company’s flexibility (and trust me, it will), you’ll have candidates banging down your door to work for you. More and more people are seeking benefits such as work from home options and flex-time over higher pay opportunities. It won’t take long for the word to spread, particularly as your current team will be singing your praises.
An uninterrupted workday
Working from home need not affect the regular schedule if your company is set up for it. If you have a scheduled meeting on a work-at-home day, your employees can simply connect via Skype, Zoom or another meeting tool. With phone, email and online tools such as Slack or Google Hangout, there’s no reason for deadlines to be affected.
Many organizations around the world are starting to see the benefits of offering flex days on a regular basis. Once you have the right systems in place, it can become a compelling option for your organization on many levels.