21 Benefits of Working Remotely For Employers

In recent years, the way we work has changed dramatically and most of us are working remotely. Technology has evolved, attitudes have changed and the ‘old 9-to-5 day' has become less rigid, with a greater understanding that life doesn’t have to revolve around work alone.

Remote working is far more prevalent in the post-industrial world than ever before, and currently 56% of companies worldwide allow remote working.

It looks like the remote working model isn’t going away anytime soon, but some employers may be a little skeptical when it comes to switching to this model.

What’s in it for you as an employer? Is remote working just a fad that will disappear once we’re done with lockdowns?

There are some incredible benefits of telecommuting, and we have compiled the 21 biggest benefits from the huge list. Check out the list and see if you’re still not sold on the idea of using telecommuters.

There are some incredible benefits of remote working, and from the huge list, we have compiled a list of the 21 biggest benefits. Take a look at the list and see if you’re still not sold on the idea of using remote workers.

1. Increased Productivity

One of the most common criticisms of remote working is that employees cannot be as productive as those who carry out their tasks in the company.

It’s understandable that some employers are concerned that remote workers will "slack off" when they’re in the office, but it’s important to note that the current remote work trend has proven otherwise.

Remote workers generally perform better than their in-office counterparts. There are a few main reasons for this. They tend to work in locations that are free from distractions and therefore conducive to a productive working environment.

Secondly, remote workers are also painfully aware of some of the stereotypes that other employees or employers may have about them if they are not productive, so they often go above and beyond to ensure that their work is seen as excellent.

The bottom line is that just being in the office does not mean that the person in question is as productive as they can be. Companies actually tend to get more work out of their remote employees too. 

2. Company Savings on Equipment 

Employees are expensive. That sounds like a counterproductive statement, but it is. We need them to do the day-to-day tasks of running a business, but there are a whole host of other costs that come with employees, apart from paying them for their work.

When an employee works in an office, you are expected to provide them with the tools they need to do their job. You need to provide them with a computer, a desk, a chair and everything else they need for their daily tasks.

If you use employees who work remotely, you can negotiate that they use their own equipment for their work. This is usually the case with freelancers in particular, as they often prefer to use their own equipment.

3. Hiring Experts Reduces the Need For Training

Training new staff can be a very lengthy and, at times, costly process. In fact, it normally takes anywhere from twelve months to two years before an employee is completely operational in the role they were hired for, even if they were an internal hire. 

An incredible benefit of using remote workers is that you can choose employees who already have the skills to perform the tasks you need. You can focus on utilising the skills of those who are already experts in the field you need.

There’s currently no shortage of experts taking advantage of the booming gig economy. 

4. A much larger talent pool of people working remotely

If you choose to use remote workers, you can hire on a more global scale.

This means you can choose from a much larger pool of potential talent. You won’t be limited by your geographic location, country or even time zone to find the best possible person who specialises in the role you have available. 

As a bare minimum, using remote employees will double the potential hires you have access to. 

5. Less Commuting for people working remotely

There are not many people who love the daily commute to and from work. For most, it means either standing in traffic jams for hours or spending time on a crowded train or bus.

We all like to think that using public transportation is a great way to catch up on a few emails before we get to the office, but have you ever done it?

For many people, commuting is awful. A recent study found that for many employees, adding 20 minutes to their commute would be just as bad as a 19% pay cut. 

Employees who are working remotely are also far more likely to start work earlier because they don’t need to commute, and they’re also usually happy to work a little longer to finish tasks because their end of day commute is from the computer to the couch.

6. Reduced absenteeism

A remote working environment reduces absenteeism

All employers need to understand that illness, sick children, family emergencies and other reasons for absenteeism are a real problem that needs to be addressed.

However, there are a number of cases where absence is not related to one of these causes. The reasons for calling in sick when you are perfectly healthy can be incredibly varied, but most employees have done it at least once.

A recent study has shown that employees who can work from home take three times fewer sick days than employees who are not allowed to work from home.

Remote working literally reduces the number of sick days employees take.

7. Greater Employee Retention

Employees have more influence over their work decisions than ever before, and thanks to new technologies, new attitudes and new ideas about how companies should operate, they are more likely to switch companies for better pay and conditions.

It’s important for companies to look closely at their staff turnover because potential hires will be doing exactly the same thing. It’s never been more imperative to aim for a good employee retention rate to attract and keep the top talent. 

Using remote employees means that they won’t resign if they move to another city, they are likely to return to work sooner after maternity or paternity leave and most importantly, they will be happier with their work-life balance. In 2021, these are the things that will keep an employee. 

8. Lower Labour Costs

Every business is looking for ways to save the good old piggy bank, and it seems that employing remote workers is another way to reduce business costs.

As mentioned earlier, employers often save money on equipment, but there are other ways that telecommuting can lower costs for businesses.

In many cases, when an employee no longer has to deal with expenses like commuting, coffee, clothing and lunches, they don’t mind a slight reduction in wages. In some cases, people have saved hundreds and even thousands of dollars from eating lunch and drinking coffee at home. 

Also, if you engage remote workers on a freelance basis, you are often not responsible for things like pension contributions and their taxes; this is the responsibility to those working remotely. 

9. Save on Office Space

The more employees you have, the more space you need to accommodate them. That has been the basic rule for office space since at least the last century.

It’s fine, and for many businesses, it works, but office space is expensive, and sometimes just housing a new employee can break the bank. 

When employees work remotely, they can cut costs at a time when a company has the potential to expand its workforce but doesn’t have the cash flow to rent more office space. Of course, there are companies that rely on a fixed location, but that doesn’t mean that every employee has to work there.

Especially in the last year or two, we have also realized that while a nice office is a great little thing to show off to potential clients, it’s not absolutely necessary to be successful in business. Meetings can be held online or in a café, and there are even collaborative workspaces that are suitable for this.

10. Reduced Need For Employee Perks

When your workforce, or at least part of it, is remote, you aren’t expected to supply as many perks as you would if your workforce was completely in-office. 

The cold drip coffee, ping pong table and chill zone are all great and help promote a good work-life balance, but they’re just not necessary for people who aren’t in an office full-time. 

The money saved from this can go back into the business or can even be redistributed to remote employees in the form of bonuses, which will keep up morale and, in turn, increase employee retention.  

11. Better Mental Health For Employees

Stress and poorly managed mental health are leading causes of a downturn in productivity in the workplace. When a company is aware of this and does whatever it can to alleviate it, it’s a complete win-win situation. 

A recent study showed that remote workers experience much lower levels of stress on a daily basis. This usually means that they are less likely to experience poor mental health or depression as a result of their jobs. 

12. More Grateful Employees

Employees who have a great work-life balance tend to be happy employees. Happy employees are generally more grateful for the time they have to spend at home with their loved ones and the flexibility they have from working remotely.

The follow on effect of this gratitude is that grateful employees are more likely to do a favor for you when you’re in a tight spot.

Perhaps you need a report streamlined that will involve a few extra hours of work. A grateful employee understands that there’s a give and take in the working relationship and doesn’t mind taking one for the team. 

13. Work Done Around the Clock

When you hire remotely, you aren’t limited to the hours of operation from the city your company is based in.

This can mean that you are able to carefully select employees to cover all hours of the day. 

The work around the clock model is particularly useful for businesses that offer customer care and assistance.

It can make sure you’re able to provide the service without having to rely on shift work. 

14. Expand Globally and Hire Natives in Other Countries

If you want to  expand globally you will certainly have an advantage over the competition if you have local employees on ground.

If you have employees who not only know the language of the country you are expanding into, but also the cultural norms and the particularities of the local markets, you will stand out from other companies and quickly build a loyal customer base. Working remotely is the advantage everyone is looking for.

15. Meet People From All Over the World

Just because you have employees working remotely doesn’t mean you won’t have a connection with them.

We’ve all seen over the last two years how powerful online connections can be, and having remote workers can broaden your horizons as you meet people from all over the world.

Working with an international team can also encourage open cultural dialogue and improve diversity in the workplace.

16. Avoid terrible Office Parties

This might be a small win for some, but it’s still worth mentioning.

Nobody likes a terrible office party. Sometimes they seem forced, stuffy and just plain awkward, but they’re kind of expected when you have coworkers inthe office. They’re great to watch on TV, but in reality, they are enough to suck the life out of you.

With remote workers, you tend to realise that you don’t have to be friends with all of your colleagues because, after all, it's all about the work.

17. Higher Morale

Most businesses that have allowed for working remotely or adopted a hybrid model have reported unanimously that employee morale greatly improves as a result. 

A recent study found that remote workers are on average 20% happier with their jobs than those that work in an office.

Job satisfaction helps with employee retention, but it also does incredible things to productivity and your bottom line. 

18. Better For the Environment

Corporate and Social Responsibility or CSR is fast becoming an essential element to a successful business.

It’s about companies understanding their environmental and social impact at every step of their process.

It’s never a bad thing for a business to be viewed as one that is trying to improve their environmental impact, and using remote workers is a great way to do that. 

If your employees work remotely, they won’t cause pollution from commuting, you will likely cause less pollution (from disposable cups and packaging often used for work lunches), and you will save space and reduce your carbon footprint.

19. Health Benefits For Employees

Perhaps you have an image of a remote worker as a sun-deprived vampire who never leaves the house and is chained to their desk all day. Or maybe you think of someone who doesn’t even get out of bed to get their work done.

The reality might shock you because remote workers tend to eat healthier and exercise more than their in-office peers. The biggest reason for this is that they have the time to devote to their physical health. 

If you work remotely, you can use the time you save commuting to walk. You tend to eat healthier because you can prepare your own meals, and the flexibility you have makes it easier to attend regular check-ups.

20. Technology to Monitor and Control Tasks

Most of the concerns employers have about remote workers stem from the overwhelming feeling that it will be too difficult to monitor everything. They imagine that it will be impossible to keep track of tasks and know how many hours an employee has worked.

The truth is that there are countless programs available that solve all of these problems.

Some companies are already using organizational, and communication software like Asana and Slack to take care of things day-to-day, and switching to online is just as simple. 

Whatever your needs are when you take the plunge into remote working, there is already a program designed for exactly this purpose.

21. Outsource Employee of Record to Experts

Another benefit that has come out of the sudden surge of remote teams in the business world is that third party companies have stepped up to assist businesses in doing it both legally and successfully. 

Everything from recruiting, to onboarding, to payroll and even the management of remote workers can actually be outsourced.

A company that takes care of this on a third party basis is called an Employer of Record (EOR), and they can take care of as much or as little as you like. 

Swapp Agency can provide complete EOR services if you are wanting to initiate a project in Iceland and wider Nordic countries, hire some local experts or even bring in some foreign expertise. We know how to get it all done so that you can focus on your profit margins. 

If you want to know more about how to engage our services, simply drop us a line. 

Conclusion

Even if COVID is long gone, remote working will still exist. The future will be even more comprehensive and enable a better work-life balance than before.

Whether you switch to remote working completely or simply opt for a hybrid way of working, it would be a real shame if you didn't find a way to take advantage of some of the benefits that remote working offers companies.