Thanks to the digital transformation over the past decade, the perks of working from home have not only touched the lives of employees, but also those of the business owner. Now, employers can recruit talent from across the globe, not just locally, equating to huge bonuses in business development. And for employees, the perks of working from home not only play into a more desired work/life balance but also offer up notions of freedom. Now, staying home with the kids or going into an office no longer has to be a choice. We can assist around the home when needed, but also be present for meetings when scheduled thanks to modern video conferencing.
We know we’ve only begun to scratch the surface here. So, we figured another infographic was in order to help convey all manner of additional perks of working from home for both the employee and the employer. Give it a look below!
Whether you’re an employee working remotely or a manager considering offering it to your staff, working from home offers many perks and benefits.
Perks of Working From Home For Employees
1. Flexible Schedule
Employees can take a break or run an errand in the middle of the day, leading to a stronger work/life balance.
2. No Dress Code
No more ironing a suit and tie every morning – when you work from home, you can wear whatever you want.
3. No Commute
You can get hours of your life back by skipping your commute. You’ll also save money on gas.
4. Cook Your Own Food
You won’t be as tempted to eat out if you’re working from home. This can help you save money and stick to a healthy diet.
5. Fewer Office Distractions
With no office distractions like coworkers talking your ears off, you can actually get work done.
6. Quieter Environment
You no longer have to escape to a conference room or head outside to take a phone call.
7. Feel Happier
With a better work/life balance, comfortable clothes, and no commute, employees can expect to feel much happier at work.
8. More Productive
A study by Stanford concluded that employees who work from home are 13% more productive than those who work in an office.
Perks of Working From Home For Managers
1. Happier Employees
Employees who have the option to stay home and cut out their commutes are often happier – and happier employees tend to put more effort into their work.
2. More Productive Employees
Increasing productivity amongst employees leads to stronger overall performance – and higher earnings for your company.
3. Employees Take Fewer Sick Days
Employees working from home are spared the viruses going around the office. Instead of calling out to prevent exposing other employees to a mild cold, if they’re feeling well enough, they can handle work from home.
4. Employees Take Shorter Vacations
When working from home, employees experience less burnout and therefore take shorter vacations.
5. You Will Spend Less Time in Impromptu Meetings
If most of your team is working remotely, there’s a far lower chance of you or your team spending tons of time in spur-of-the-moment meetings.
6. You Don’t Have to Pay for Office Space
If your whole team works from home, there’s no need to pay a ridiculous amount for office space. This can expand the budget in other departments.
7. You Can Hire the Best
Location doesn’t matter if you have a remote team. You can hire the best person for the job without worrying about their moving expenses.
8. Communication is a Breeze
Tools like project management software and instant messaging platforms make it easy to keep in touch with your team.
9. Employees are Less Likely to Quit
When employees are happier at work, they’re less likely to quit, which means you will spend less time and money interviewing and training replacements.
As remote work becomes easier, more and more companies are going to offer it – will yours be the next?
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If you’re new to working from home, you might be looking for a routine that keeps you productive. With our tips, we’ll help you start the day with some insight on how to maintain a positive mindset and help you develop a positive work attitude as you are adjusting to your time of working from home.
Create Structure
If you’re wondering how to start the day with a positive mindset, it’s with structure. Just because you’re working from home doesn’t mean you should let structure go out the window. Stick to your usual morning routine. Now that you don’t have a commute, use that extra time to enjoy breakfast, squeeze in a morning workout, or even let yourself sleep a little bit longer than usual. The most important factor is that you stick to your usual office routine. Once it’s your usual time to begin work, sit down and get to work. Make sure to take breaks throughout the day and have a lunch break away from your computer. When the end of your workday rolls around, shut off your computer and enjoy something unrelated to work so that you can unwind for the day. Sticking to structure will create some sense of normalcy in your life and, as a result, help you keep a positive mindset at work.
Choose a Dedicated Workspace
One of the biggest problems people who are new to working from home face is that they are not setting up a dedicated workspace. For instance, if you find yourself working out of your bed or on your couch, your brain might become easily distracted since it associates these areas with sleep or leisure time already. Instead of working from your bed or couch, choose a spot in your home and dedicate a said space to work only. That way, when you make your long commute from your bedroom to that area in your home, your brain will associate that space with work. At the end of the day, when you leave that space after you’re finished working, it will help your brain disconnect from work so that you can relax and enjoy your life at home.
Try to find an area in your home that has a door you can close, if possible. If not, keep a pair of headphones handy if noise is often a distraction. If you don’t have a desk at home, consider buying one or taking over the dining room table as your new office space. Make sure to set boundaries with anyone you live with. Ask them not to distract you during work hours and to keep noise or interaction with you to a minimum as you complete your job.
Get Dressed
You might feel tempted to lounge around in your pajamas all day every day. Just like your brain associates your workspace with work, it also associates wearing pajamas with sleeping. Do yourself a favor and take a shower and get dressed in a casual outfit for the day. Changing out of your pajamas can change your entire work attitude and set you up for a productive day.
Take Advantage of Video Chats
It can feel isolating to work from home, especially if you live alone. Feeling lonely can make it challenging to have a positive attitude at work. Take advantage of video chats. If you have an upcoming meeting with a coworker, request that you meet over video chat instead of the phone. Seeing another person’s face can make all the difference in your work attitude. If you don’t have regular meetings with coworkers or your boss, maybe now is the time to start scheduling them.
Limit Screen Time
It’s easy to feel glued to the media as the news constantly changes. However, staying glued to your TV, phone, or news sites on your computer during the day is not only bad for your productivity but also for maintaining a positive mindset at work. If you get distracted easily, set up your workstation away from your TV, try leaving your phone in a separate room, or use an app blocker during working hours. If you get distracted on your computer, use a focus plugin on your internet browser to stick to work tasks only. Although it’s essential to stay on top of the news, consuming too much might do more harm than good to your brain.
Focus on the Positive Aspects of Working from Home
Working from home isn’t all bad news. Many people prefer it to working in an office. Instead of dwelling on the fact that you live in a tiny apartment or that your kids are driving you nuts while you’re trying to work, focus on the positive aspects instead. For instance, you get to spend more time with your family. You also get to cook meals and use your own bathroom instead of the public one at work. Working from home also gives you the flexibility to set your work hours if your company allows it. You might also be saving money from not commuting or buying lunch and coffee every day.
Create Goals for Yourself
Just because you’re working from home doesn’t mean that you should let all professional or personal goals go out the window. Working towards a goal gives you an extra reason to feel positive. Perhaps you want to expand your professional skills by taking an online course. Set aside a little bit of time every day and, eventually, you will reach your goal and reap the rewards. You can even give yourself a small reward for your accomplishments to change your work attitude.
Creating goals in your personal life can also help you feel more positive at work. For instance, if you’ve recently started a new hobby like playing an instrument, working on your goals after work can give you something to look forward to during your workday. Since you have something to look forward to outside of work, it can help you feel happier and more motivated throughout the day.
Keep a Journal Nearby
If you’re feeling overwhelmed with work or life in general, keep a journal. Write down your thoughts every time you lack a positive mindset. Journaling is a healthy outlet for your feelings.
You can also turn your journal into a positivity journal. Instead of venting about your frustrations, start your day by writing every positive thing you can think about yourself and your life. Thinking positivity at the beginning of the day and writing it down will help you keep these thoughts in mind for the rest of the day. In turn, you can keep a positive attitude at work.
We hope these tips will help you stay positive while working from home. If you’re looking for a fun way to get paid while working from home, sign up for Branded Surveys to make money from surveys!
In today’s technology-based society, working from home outside of a physical office is now a convenient option for the American workforce. In fact, the ability to work from home outside of a company’s primary location is now a key factor for many job seekers.
We interviewed real managers and employees who work in remote environments and compiled some takeaways below. Read on to see how working from home can benefit everyone!
Productivity Increases
One of the most intriguing benefits of working from home is how much it increases productivity at work. It’s a common misconception that working from home does the opposite; according tothis study from Stanford, employees increased their performance by 13% just by working from home. When productivity increases, businesses thrive and everyone wins.
Phil Strazzulla, who works atSelect Software Reviews, explained how his productivity increased after working remotely for the past nine months: “…my productivity has skyrocketed due to a decrease in meetings, Facetime and random chit-chat that can turn into much longer conversations.”
Limiting office distractions can help employees focus more on their job and less on their coworkers. James Canzanella fromIsolated Marketing Nights remarked, “Overall, my productivity is through the roof given the fact that I’m in control of every task that I need to accomplish.”
Instead of bouncing tasks between different people in the office, employees can focus on their job alone. As a result, productivity increases!
Having a more flexible schedule also helps people work more productively. If workers aren’t waiting for the end of the day to roll around, they’ll focus more on their tasks and get more done. Rick Patterson from Poolonomics noted that his team “feel[s] like they have more freedom and control over their time. Because of this, everyone gets to work more efficiently and not feel constrained with the hours that they’re required to work like with a regular office-based job.”
Companies Thrive in Working From Home Environments
It’s no surprise that companies with more productive employees tend to show higher performance. For example, working remotely allows international companies to stay open at all times. William Robers of WeWorked states, “In short, we are able to provide around-the-clock customer service 24 x 7 x 365 and no one complains. Remote working creates the perfect environment for our executive team, employees and our customers. Everybody wins!”
By offering customer support at all times and to all time zones, companies can increase customer satisfaction and loyalty – both tickets to a thriving company.
Employee Retention is Higher Than Ever
When employees are happier at work, they’re less likely to quit. A report from Owl Labs found that remote positions have a 25% lower turnover rate.
When companies offer a remote work environment, employees no longer have to commute and experience a better work/life balance. Kim Hawkins ofEvents Wholesale reported, “Our employees tend to be happier and stick with us for longer. Working from home eliminates their commute time, so they have more time for other things in life. They can dress casually and comfortably. They save money on gas, car maintenance, parking fees, professional clothing, lunches out, etc.”
Higher retention rates save companies the money and time it takes to hire and train new employees. Sean Pour fromSellMax also noticed a higher retention rate in work-from-home environments: “Employees stay with us for the long-term. We have reduced employee churn tremendously because we are giving the autonomy to live their lives as they please.”
Working from home allows employees to work around their life, not plan their life around work. As a result, they’re able to find more happiness and satisfaction in their life instead of searching for it in a job which is often why people job hop.
Employees Take Fewer Days Off When Working From Home
When employees have the freedom of where and when they can get work done, they no longer have to take an entire day off to visit the doctor or go to their child’s school performance. Instead, they can plan their work schedule around their life; as a result, they take fewer days off.
Naresh Vissa from Krish Media & Marketing takes advantage of her flexible work-from-home schedule. She says, “The flexible schedule has allowed me to travel the country for pleasure and business without having to worry about vacation days or a supervisor looking over my shoulder. The time at home has allowed me to focus more on improving myself and, in turn, my businesses.”
Employees who aren’t taking a lot of time off are getting more work done; what’s more, when they do take time off, they’re likely taking a real break instead of running errands or taking care of responsibilities. Using time off for a vacation or a break from work gives employees the brain reset they need to return to work feeling more productive and inspired than ever.
Communication is Easy When Working From Home
One of the primary reasons companies hesitate to implement a work-from-home environment is the lack of communication. They often don’t realize that maintaining contact with colleagues is easy if the right tools and software are utilized.
Sue Andrews from Kids Bridging Loans chimed in on this concern and stated, “Of course isolation can be a concern, so it’s been important to organize ways for the team to connect, via virtual meetings as well as actual meetups on a fairly regular basis.” With the right organization, chat software and protocols in place, communication when working from home can be just as effective as communication in the office.”
Sean Pour ofSellmax actually reported an improvement in communication: “It sounds counter-intuitive but our team communication has improved since having the majority of our staff working remotely. We’ve created systems and workflows to communicate that are much more efficient.”
On the other hand, Alex Winston fromPPC Protect has run into some issues with communication due to different time zones. “There are lots of issues when managing a remote team,” he notes. “The first and most obvious are the different time zones. This makes planning meetings and getting everybody online at the same time challenging and can often have a knock-on effect on other people’s productivity.”
Anh Trinh from GeekWithLaptop stresses how important it is to “teach your employees to manage their own time and do what they believe is best for the company.” Without proper processes and instructions in place for remote work environments, employees likely won’t stay on top of their tasks.
Something to keep in mind is that if your employees are working from home in different time zones, your company may need to experiment with and implement new protocols for effective communication.
Flexible Work Schedule Improves Quality of Life
Employee happiness is one of the factors that contribute to retention rates and productivity. One of the biggest benefits of working from home is how much it improves an employee’s quality of life.
Liz Brown from Sleeping Lucid explains, “I now get to spend more time with my family and friends without sacrificing my career. Personally, it has improved my physical, mental and emotional health.”
Sue Andrews from Kids Bridging Loans also noticed how much happier employees were after the switch to a remote workplace. “Staff have reported back that they’ve seen improvements in their general wellbeing that come from working in a relaxed environment and that eating at home during the day makes it easier to make healthy food choices.”
Paula Onysko from Paula Onysko Coaching and Consulting also notes how working remotely has benefited her life: “All in all, working from home has been a godsend in supporting my health, work and family life.”
Working from home allows employees to be happier, healthier and enjoy a better work/life balance. Providing employees with this opportunity shows how much a company cares about its employees and their wellbeing.
Wider Pool of Job Candidates to Hire
One of the biggest drawbacks of living in a small city is having a correspondingly small pool of job applicants to choose from. A company that opens their hiring options to remote workers is no longer limited to candidates within a certain radius – instead, they can hire the best talent worldwide.
Daniela Andreevska fromMashvisor noticed an increase in productivity from hiring better candidates. “This structure has actually helped us increase our efficiency and productivity and improve performance. The main reason for this positive impact has been the fact that with remote workers we are not limited to hiring people from the local market only but can hire just about anyone around the globe.”
Jeremey Harrison fromHustle Life noticed the same benefits: “By hiring remote workers, you are not limited to getting people within your area. You can have the very best all over the globe.”
This is good news for employers and employees.
No Office Distractions or Pressure When Working From Home
One reason employees experience more productivity and happiness when working from home is because they don’t have to deal with the pressures or distractions of working in an office. Instead of wasting 20 minutes at the coffee machine chatting with their coworkers, they can focus on their jobs.
Jeremy Harrison fromHustle Life noticed this in his own employees. “The main reason for higher productivity in remote workers is the absence of the traditional office pressure,” he says, “and the distractions that come with it.”
Employees who are working at home don’t have to worry about their boss peering over their shoulders. This can cut down on the excessive stress that often accompanies an effort to complete projects. When working from home they can complete their projects without getting interrupted from a spontaneous meeting.
Employees Can Work in Their Most Ideal Environment
The last benefit of working from home is that employees can work in their most ideal environment. If a creative employee struggles to find inspiration while in their cubicle, working from home can give them the option to pick up their laptop and work anywhere or anytime that inspires them.
Adrian Try fromSoftware How enjoys the freedom to move to a new area when necessary: “I find it helpful to work from somewhere else from time to time. I grab my laptop and head to a coffee shop, a park or even just the outdoor area of my house. Doing that once or twice a week can add the needed variety back to my work life and leaves me feeling fresh.”
Whether you’re an employee who wants to work from home or an employer toying with the idea of transitioning to a remote environment for your team, the benefits speak for themselves.
It doesn’t hurt to give the telecommuting life a try to see if it’s right for you. One way to give working from home a try is by taking paid surveys at home with us at Branded Surveys. You can test what working from home is like all while earning rewards like cash or free gift cards rewards.Sign up today to get started!
Working from home offers lots of benefits like a better work/life balance, no time wasted commuting and greater overall happiness. Unfortunately, not everyone can work productively at home because they get distracted by doing chores or turning on the TV.
On the flip side, you may end up consumed by work – staying up late into the night because there’s no one telling you it’s time to stop for the day.
If you’re wondering how to stay focused when working from home, these 10 tips will show you the way.
1. Work at a Dedicated Space
As tempting as it might be to work on the couch or in your bed, establishing a dedicated workspace can help turn on the right mindset to work. When you walk into an office for the day, your brain automatically recognizes you’re at work; it turns off distractions and allows you to focus on your job. Creating a dedicated workspace in your home and working there each day will have the same effect. Just like you associate your bed with sleeping, you will associate your workspace with working.
Even if you have a limited amount of square footage to work with, invest in a desk and comfortable chair. Dress up your workspace with personal touches and décor that make you feel happy about sitting there. If possible, set up your workspace in an area that limits distractions. If this isn’t possible, keep headphones handy for times when it might get too loud. With a setup like this, your working from home productivity will definitely increase.
2. Turn Off Social Media and Notifications
It’s too easy to let your phone’s notifications distract you. After you see a few, you might feel tempted to pick it up to see what’s going on. The next thing you know, you’re an hour deep into your Instagram feed and you’ve accomplished no work.
Do yourself a favor and turn your phone on “do not disturb” mode. If that doesn’t help, blocking certain apps at certain times using your phone’s screen time settings is also effective. If social media is a big problem for you, block yourself from being able to use those apps during work hours.
Using a browser plugin likeStayFocused on Google Chrome is also helpful for your working from home productivity. The plugin blocks social media websites from your computer during certain hours.
Lastly, turn off your computer notifications so they don’t distract you every time an email comes through. Instead, schedule time in your day to check and respond to emails. Respecting that boundary will help you get a lot more done.
3. Get Dressed Before Working From Home
Although you don’t need to put on a pencil skirt or three-piece suit when working from home, changing out of your pajamas can create a more productive mindset. Establishing daily rituals like getting out of bed, getting dressed and brushing your teeth all help you feel like you have somewhere to be and something to do. Even if you’re changing out of your pajamas to yoga pants or workout attire, it can make all the difference in your working from home productivity.
4. Set Boundaries While Working From Home
One of the most crucial steps in learning how to be productive working from home is setting boundaries. It’s a common misconception for people to assume that working from home means you’re not working hard. Let your friends and family know that just because you’re working remotely doesn’t mean that you can drop your work for the day to talk to them on the phone or grab a last-minute brunch.
Although working from home allows more flexibility with your schedule, don’t let spontaneous midday plans interfere with your productivity.
5. Create a Consistent Schedule
Consistency is the key to any success, whether you’re losing weight, saving money or working productively at home. Learn how to be productive working from home by establishing a consistent schedule. Start by giving yourself set working hours. This forces you to accomplish all of your work within a certain window. Be sure to factor in workouts, lunch breaks and any potential midday plans into your schedule.
If you have tasks to tackle every day, block time in your calendar to only take care of those tasks. If you hate answering emails, schedule time to complete this first thing in the morning so you don’t have to dread getting to it at the end of the day. If your brain works more creatively in the afternoon, save your creative projects for then.
At the beginning of the week, sit down and lay out your schedule for the entire week. Use a digital calendar, project management software or even physical paper to accomplish this. Whether you want to make a specific list of to-dos or just decide which hours you will work, establishing any type of consistent schedule will help you become more productive.
6. Schedule an Exercise Break
It’s easy to get lost in your tasks when you’re working from home. This is one drawback of the arrangement – you might even find yourself immobile for the majority of the day. If you were working in an office, you would at least get steps in by walking to your car or going out to lunch!
Even if you work from home it’s still important to get regular exercise. It only makes sense to take advantage of your flexible schedule to get in a workout, long walk or gym time at some point during the day. Set aside time every day to squeeze in a gym session, walk or home workout. This will get your blood pumping, improve your health and increase your working from home productivity as the endorphins flow through you.
7. Discover Your Focus Zone
Everyone requires something different to help them get into their focus zone. It may take a lot of trial and error to find yours, but once you find it, use it every day. Try moving your dedicated workspace around your home, listening to different types of music, working different hours of the day or even working outside your home. Once you figure out what helps you focus, use this every day to improve your working from home productivity.
Productivity intervals can also help improve focus. It involves working for an allotted amount of time and then taking a break, then completing this cycle for the entire day. For example, you would work for 30 minutes straight without any distractions and then give yourself a five-minute break to do anything you want. Play around with different intervals to see what helps you stay the most productive.
8. Don’t Overwork
One of the most common mistakes people make when they first begin working from home is not knowing when to clock out for the day. Since you no longer have a commute to occupy your time, you might think it’s a good idea to work longer and get more done.
Don’t try this: Working too much quickly leads to burnout, which will kill your productivity. To protect yourself from burnout, stick to your consistent schedule and only put in extra hours when absolutely necessary.
9. Take Breaks While Working From Home
Like working too many hours, not taking breaks can also lead to burnout. Taking a break means getting up, stretching and stepping away from your computer for at least 15 minutes at a time. You would take breaks while working in an office, so give yourself the same privilege at home.
Take a walk, give your mom a call, hang out with your pet or have a snack during your break. Whatever you do, make sure to step away from your workspace so your brain can shut off for a bit. Once you sit back down at your desk, you will feel recharged and ready to put your productive brain back to work.
10. Establish a Long-Term Goal
One of the best ways to learn how to stay focused when working from home is to establish a long-term goal. Instead of focusing on your day-to-day life, start planning ahead. Do you want to open a business? Work on the road? Save enough money to buy a house? Whatever your goal is, put it on display somewhere in your workspace as a daily reminder of what you’re working for every day. Working towards a goal can help you feel more productive because there’s a finish line in the distance.
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With the working from home movement in full swing, millions of full-time employees (and employers) are taking to their home offices to get work done in a more efficient and reflective manner. And why not? The digital age continually opens up new opportunities for continental — and intercontinental — communication. Meaning we can technically work from anywhere in the world as long as we have a dependable WiFi connection.
But what about our space? Oftentimes our work environment plays a sizable impact on how we work. It seems trivial at first, but when you think about it, the traditional workspace does carry with it the certain conveniences. Doesn’t it make sense, then, to replicate this for our home office?
Well, that’s exactly what we decided to tackle with this work-from-home infographic. Here, we covered the basics of what should be included and made some suggestions on how to easily establish a successful work environment from the comfort of your own home.
Set Yourself Up for Success
It may be obvious but this is only the beginning. Especially for those of us who work from home more often than in a dedicated office, honing-in on the ideal home office is needed to remain productive. The aims here are simple: build a dedicated space for your work hours, map out your workday, and situate yourself in an environment with limited distractions. Easy right?
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Whether you’re an employee working remotely or a manager considering offering it to your staff, working from home offers many perks and benefits.
