One of the emerging trends in business is teleworking. Teleworking is just a fancy word for allowing an employee to work from home. Working from home has become increasingly popular because of its many benefits, both to the employees and employers.
So if you are an employee and you are interested in working from home, these are seven benefits you can get:
1. Save Money
Working in an office can literally cost you thousands a year. The further you have to commute, the more gas you have to use. And the more gas you use, the more money you spend.
But besides that, working from home enables you to cook and prepare your own meal; ready to eat whenever you want. By working in an office, you would be more inclined to buy lunch — whether it is because of an office get-together or you just want to save yourself the hassle of bringing your own lunch. And don’t even get me started on all the money you have to spend on business casual clothing; working from home allows you to save money on clothes and dry cleaning bills.
2. Save Time
Imagine how much time you spend getting ready for work and getting there. A Gallup poll states the average American spends over 46 minutes a day commuting for work. Now add the time you spend getting ready, driving to the bus, and waiting at the bus stop, you’ve easily got two hours of work-related preparation each day. What do you think you can do with those extra two hours each day?
3. More Productive
Statistics have shown that employees who work at home are almost twice as productive as those who work in the office. This may sound counter-intuitive if you believe that employees need to be micromanaged. However, in most cases, employees are self-sufficient and work a lot better without the constant distractions that come with working in an office.
4. More Time with Family
One of the biggest perks of working from home is having more time to spend with your loved ones. However, do not let your family cut into your work hours too much, though, as this may prove extremely counter-intuitive.
5. More Alone Time
At the office, your coworkers are all around, and when you come home, you need to spend time with your family to balance out your career with your home life. But then you find yourself never having time to just relax on your own, without having to take care of work or run errands. The time saved from working at home is valuable because it allows you to adjust your schedule accordingly, letting you have time to yourself, to do whatever you want.
6. Sick Leave
It has been shown that people who work from the comforts of their home use fewer sick days. This is because you may be too ill to commute and spend a full day at work, but you may be well enough to work from your cozy room with your blanket and some hot chicken noodle soup. Also, by working from home, you can go to the doctor’s office or run errands without having to worry about taking paid leave, allowing you to save your leave for vacation.
Related Content: Is It Okay to Call in Sick When You Work-at-Home?
7. Live a Healthier Lifestyle
People who work at home are usually able to live healthier lifestyles. They can cook their own food and find the time to exercise which busy office workers normally do not have. By working at home, you will be able to go out and play sports or exercise whenever you feel like, without having to rush to get ready for work. With the increased exercise and balanced diet, you will find that you will be in better shape than if you were working in the office.
Conclusion
So while you may miss the office gossip, the lunch hour drinks, and the happy hours, there is no doubt that working from home is extremely advantageous both to the employee and the employer. The employees find it better for their work/life balance, and employers are finding that their employees are more productive, and they trim their overhead. That is why both companies and their employees are increasingly embracing this idea of working from home. It really is a win-win situation.
Felix Tarcomnicu has been blogging about business and human resources for the last five years. He is currently a contributor on ResumeOK.
Csilla
I completely agree. :) Fortunately there are more and more possibilites to start a home-based business so more and more could enjoy these benefits you mentioned.