Telecommuting can offer workers more flexibility, a greater feeling of independence, and the ability to work from anywhere in the world. It’s not just great for you, the employee, either; it can offer real advantages for your employer, as well. If you’re trying to convince your boss to let you work from home now and then, you’ll want to focus on the ways that letting you telecommute benefits your team and the company as a whole.
(Photo Credit: David Martyn Hunt/Flickr)
1. Greater Job Satisfaction
In January of this year, Leadership IQ published a survey that reported people are 87 percent more likely to love their job if they are telecommuters. This isn’t because they secretly like to slack off, either: when asked, 71 percent of remote employees said that being considered average in their work was a terrible thought. Keeping their team happy and motivated should be of prime importance to effective managers, so as to limit turnover and facilitate better performance. Even if it’s just one or two days a week, working from home could make you a more satisfied worker.
If that argument doesn’t move your boss, this one might: research from Brigham Young University found that workers who enjoyed a combination of telecommuting privileges and flex-time were able to put in more hours per week before reporting work-life balance disturbances. Another study out of Stanford showed that telecommuters work longer hours and take fewer breaks than those who work in the office.
2. Cutting Down on Costs
Maintaining a pleasant and safe office environment can get expensive quickly, especially with a growing team. Desk sharing can reduce the office space required, and for a cash-strapped start-up this may make the difference between being able to afford rent or having to reduce costs elsewhere. Utilizing free messaging services like Skype, Google Hangout, and others to conduct meetings, as well as track progress, means management oversight needn’t be negatively affected by remote workers.
3. Fewer Office Bugs
We all know that working when you’re sick is miserable. What’s even worse? Running out of sick days and going into the office, knowing you’re risking your co-workers’ health too.
If you telecommute, you won’t spread your germs to your teammates, and you’ll have the opportunity to rest and recover without necessarily taking a whole sick day for every ailment. For managers, this can be a big win. It’s frustrating to have a project delayed because of a sick team, and your boss would probably prefer not to have to answer difficult questions after missing their own deadlines.
Tell Us What You Think
Did you successfully argue for a flexible schedule? Leave a comment below, or join the conversation on Twitter.
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