When the pandemic first began, many workplaces had to transfer to remote work and learn how to adjust their day-to-day operations to fit that style. However, ACM Strategies has always been a fully remote team, and because of that, we consider ourselves experts at remote work. We have observed many benefits from our status as a fully remote workplace, ranging from personal to professional. Here are some of them:
Eliminates stressful commutes
Starting work after sitting in traffic for an hour, hustling to catch a train, or running after buses can be less than ideal. You get to work and you are already stressed and grumpy. When you work remotely, you can choose where to work and when to leave the house. You don’t have to worry about having commuting shoes and another pair of professional work shoes, being sweaty by the time you get to work in the summer, or shivering the whole way there in the winter! Not to mention all that extra time you have to sleep in, enjoy a healthy breakfast, spend time with your pets or loved ones, or just do the things you enjoy.
Creates a larger pool of qualified job candidates
When your workplace is fully remote, it opens you up to receiving more qualified job applicants and being able to choose employees based solely on qualifications, not based on where they are located. With in-person jobs, you may find an excellent candidate, but if they are not willing to relocate to your city, you miss out on a candidate that could otherwise be an excellent addition to your team.
Reduces environmental impact
Not only does eliminating commutes reduce stress, but it has a beneficial environmental impact too. Giant office buildings are detrimental to the environment, as they use large amounts of energy and usually involve deforestation or the removal of any wildlife that previously inhabited the area. If you’re located in an area where you have to drive to work, you’re also reducing pollution by not driving to and from work every day. This not only saves you money but also helps the environment.
Provides a more flexible work environment
Think back to your last in-person work experience. What happened when you needed something fixed at your home and you had a repair window of 10 AM to 2 PM — did you have to take off half the day or the whole day? When you are working from home, you don’t have to turn your entire day upside down just to accommodate basic home-life needs or tasks. The rigid structure of a 9-to-5 (or later) office environment is often not conducive to treating employees like whole people. When working remotely, it is much easier to stop and take a break to pick up kids, go to doctor’s appointments, eat lunch, and more. While not all office employment sticks to a strict schedule, many employers do not like seeing employees take breaks to do necessary non-work-related tasks, even when all of their work is getting done.
Ultimately, there are benefits to both in-person and remote work, and each works better for different people and circumstances. It’s important to take stock of which environment is more conducive to the way you do your best work and can be at your healthiest.