The Advantages Of Teleworking, The Option That Is Here To Stay

A few years ago, there was no talk of the advantages of teleworking. The option of teleworking was reserved for freelancers, some particular positions in creative or professional companies, who were almost branded as eccentrics. Quite a few imagined the working day from home as a way to spend the day in their pyjamas and alternate the distractions of personal life with obligations. Nothing is further from reality.  

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought about a radical change in this conception, and many people have been working efficiently from home for more than a year. It is not an easy change; with such an exceptional circumstance, it would have occurred on a massive scale. But now, with more than enough time to take stock, its advantages suggest that it is here to stay, not as a unique option, but at least a few days a week for those who decide so.  

And it is that teleworking provides a series of benefits that many employees will want to continue enjoying from now on. And for companies, it also entails a series of exciting changes.  

Freedom and flexibility  

The first great advantage of teleworking for employees is that it allows them greater freedom and more possibilities to make their hours more flexible in many cases. Consequently, it facilitates the reconciliation between work and family life. As it has been possible to verify throughout these months, it is a responsible freedom: the work is carried out satisfactorily, but with the possibility of adapting to the needs of each professional.  

Having this freedom on the company’s part has an added effect: it increases the worker’s confidence and satisfaction with the job.  

Save time and money. 

Teleworking saves time and money commuting to and from the workplace. Avoiding a good number of weekly hours in the car or combining itineraries by public transport also reduces stress and accumulated fatigue so that you can perform better.  

Working remotely also allows you to prepare coffee, snacks and food at home, reducing the need to invest in more formal clothing for the office. The lump sum at the end of the year can be a significant financial amount.  

Relocation 

If, until now, the distance to the workplace was a fundamental aspect when choosing where to live, continuous teleworking or a few days a week allows you to rethink that decision. Living in the city centre or a few minutes from a metro stop is no longer necessary due to work obligations. Suppose you do not need to make this journey twice a day. In that case, you can opt for more small neighbourhoods, smaller municipalities or even small rural towns -as long as they have a good internet connection- that are more suited to the pace and quality of life each person wants.  

Chosen silence 

Working in an office requires extra concentration: cross conversations, ringing phones and constant noise are distractions that are difficult to escape. Working from home, however, allows you to choose moments of absolute silence to focus, focus all your thoughts on the task to be done, and increase productivity during that time.  

Custom workspace 

In teleworking, employees choose how to design their work within their home’s possibilities. Having more or less natural light, putting on music at times, having everything neatly ordered or living in a chaos of papers are individual decisions that no partner can protest.  

Rising productivity 

For several years now, various studies have analyzed changes in productivity by employees who work remotely. These are analyses carried out before confinement and, therefore, do not include the stress derived from that specific moment. But the results are precise. Research from Stanford University, for example, states that the productivity of teleworkers is 13% higher than that of those who work in the office.  

Advantages of teleworking for companies 

From a business point of view, teleworking also represents a change with positive aspects. To begin with, a lower simultaneous presence of employees in the offices allows us to opt for smaller spaces and, in any case, means savings in maintenance, cleaning or updating furniture, among others.  

The figures indicate that teleworking reduces sick leave and expands the possibilities in personnel selection processes because the factor of proximity to the company’s headquarters is no longer essential. This aspect also facilitates greater diversity among the workforce because workers from more distant areas or even from other countries, or people with a disability that could prevent them from commuting to an office daily, can form part of the company without complications.  

The higher productivity mentioned above also obviously has very beneficial effects for companies. In addition, increased flexibility in the distribution of hours increases workers’ loyalty and talent retention.  

The biggest challenges and advantages of teleworking

The advantages of teleworking are many, in turn, some possible adverse effects. According to an extensive international survey, loneliness and the difficulty of disconnecting from work are the most prominent factors. That is why teleworking must have support measures from companies, which must be able to detect if there is any risk to mental health and act to avoid it.

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