Remote Workers Are More Productive - businessnewsdaily.com

The study found that working from home not only benefits employees by eliminating their daily commutes, it also increases productivity and leads to ... BusinessNewsDailyreceivescompensationfromsomeofthecompanieslistedonthispage.AdvertisingDisclosureHome>BuildYourCareer>Work-LifeBalanceWorkingFromHomeIncreasesProductivitySammiCaramelaBusinessNewsDailyContributingWriterUpdatedApr12,2022Workingfromhomecanincreaseyouremployees'productivity.Here'showyouandyourteamcanmakethemostofworkingremotely.Accordingtoonestudy,remoteemployeeswork1.4moredayspermonththantheiroffice-basedcounterparts,resultinginmorethanthreeadditionalweeksofworkperyear. 29%ofremoteemployeessaidtheystrugglewithwork-lifebalance,and31%saidtheyhaveneededtotakeadayofffortheirmentalhealth.Oneofthemosteffectivewaysworkerscanstayproductiveisbytakingbreaksthroughouttheday.ThePomodoroTechniqueisonesuchmethodforemployeestodecompressforamomentandcomebackrefreshedandreadytofocus.  Manyemployeesandbusinessownersalikehavebeenworkingfromhomeforyears,thankstodevelopmentsintechthatmakeremoteworkpossible.ForagrowingnumberofAmericans,thisisthenorm.Now,amidtherecentCOVID-19outbreak,mostcompaniesandtheirworkersarefollowingsuit,raisingthequestion:Isthisworkingarrangementaproductiveone? AsurveybyAirtaskersaysyes.Researcherspolled1,004full-timeemployeesthroughouttheU.S.abouttheirproductivity,theircommutesandotherfacetsoftheirlives.Amongthatgroupwere505peoplewhoworkedremotely.Thestudyfoundthatworkingfromhomenotonlybenefitsemployeesbyeliminatingtheirdailycommutes,italsoincreasesproductivityandleadstohealthierlifestyles.It’sawin-winsituationthatworkersrelishforitsflexibility–butoftenatthecostoftheirwork-lifebalance.HowtobeproductiveathomeWithallthemoderncomfortsofhomebeckoningforourattention,itwouldbeunderstandableifemployerssawadipinproductivity,yettheoppositeistrue.AccordingtotheAirtaskerstudy,telecommuters“worked1.4moredayseverymonth,or16.8moredayseveryyear”thanpeoplewhoworkedinanoffice.However,researchersalsofoundthatworkingfromhomecanbemorestressfulthanworkingattheoffice.Approximately29%oftelecommutingrespondentssaidtheyhadahardtimemaintainingahealthywork-lifebalance.Just23%ofofficeworkersreportedthesamestruggle. Inaddition,54%ofremoteworkersand49%ofofficeworkerssaidtheyfelt“overlystressedduringtheworkday,”45%ofremoteworkersand42%ofofficeworkers“experiencedhighlevelsofanxietyduringtheworkday,”and37%ofremoteworkersand35%ofofficeworkerssaidthey“procrastinatedonataskuntilitsdeadline.” Tohelpyourteamstayfocusedandefficientduringthiswork-from-homephasewhilecombatingstressandmaintainingwork-lifebalance,herearesometipstohelpyouout.Takebreaks.Themosteffectivewayforremoteemployeestostayproductive,accordingtotheAirtaskersurvey,wastotakebreaks(37%).Theresearchfoundthatofficeworkerstookshorterbreaksthanremoteworkers,thoughlongerbreakshavebeenshowntoincreaseproductivity. Encourageyourworkerstogetupeverysooftenduringtheworkday,especiallywhenthey’reparticularlydrainedordistracted,tograbahealthysnack,walkaroundtheirhome,callafriend,meditate,etc. ManypeoplefindsuccessusingthePomodoroTechnique,whichfollowsthismethod: Chooseatask.Workonitfor25minutes.Putacheckmarkonasheetofpaperafterthe25minutesareup.Takeafive-minutebreak.(Thismarksthecompletionofone“Pomodoro”sprint.)AftereveryfourPomodorosprints,takealongerbreak.Continuethisthroughoutthedayuntilyourworkdayisover. Thistechniquecanhelpyouremployeesdecompressandcomebackmorefocused.Tip:Encourageyourworkerstogetupeverysooftenduringtheworkday,especiallywhenthey’reparticularlydrainedordistracted,tograbahealthysnack,walkaroundtheirhome,callafriend,meditate,etc. Followaschedule.Thesecondmostpopularwayemployeesstayproductiveathomeishavingsetworkhours(33%).Encourageemployeestomaintainthesamescheduletheydidwhentheywentintotheoffice.Followingaroutinewillhelpyourworkersfeelmorestructuredandefficient,anditwillhelpkeeptheirattentionfocused.Keepato-dolist.TheAirtaskersurveyalsorevealedthat30%ofremoteemployeesreportedthatkeepingato-dolisthelpedtheirproductivity.Encourageemployeestowritedownwhattheywishtoaccomplisheachdaysotheyarenotjumpingfromassignmenttoassignment.Nowthatyouandyourteamareworkingremotely,communicationiscritical.Setdailyorweeklymeetingswhereyouandyourteamdiscussandprioritizeprojects,includingdeadlines,soyoucanstayontrack. Eliminatedistractions.Researchersfoundthat,alongwithspendingmoretimedoingwork,remoteemployeeslost27minutesperdayondistractions,asopposedtothe37minutesdistractedofficeworkerslost.Thesurveyalsofoundthatjust8%ofremoteemployeesand6%ofofficeworkersreportedfindingithardtofocusontheirtasks. Textmessages,phonecalls,socialmedia‒allareformsofdistractions.Athomeespecially,employeeswillexperiencemanydisturbancesthroughouttheday.Stepsthatyourworkerscantaketostayfocusedincludesilencingtheirphones,workinginanoffice-likespaceratherthana bedorcouch,andstayingawayfromareasoftheirhomethatcouldotherwisetemptthemtodirecttheirattentionelsewhere.[Fortrackingemployeeperformancemanagement,readourreviewofBambooHR.] DidYouKnow? Researchersfoundthat,alongwithspendingmoretimedoingwork,remoteemployeeslost27minutesperdayondistractions,asopposedtothe37minutesdistractedofficeworkerslost.BenefitsofworkingremotelyOneofthebiggestbenefitsthatemployeesgainthroughworkingremotelyisthattheynolongerhavetocommutetowork.Commutinghasledatleast1in4respondentstoquitajob,accordingtotheAirtaskerstudy.Infact,manyworkerssaidtheywouldbewillingtogiveupalotofthingstoendtheircommute. TheaverageAmerican’scommuteisnownearly30minutes.Thatmuchtimeontheroadmeansworkersarespendingmoremoneyonfuel,nottomentionmaintenanceandrepaircostsduetothewearandtearontheirvehicles.Accordingtoresearchers,theaverageremoteworkersavedmorethan$4,500onyearlyfuelcosts.Thelackofadailycommutealsoledtoaslightdecreaseinmaintenancecosts,withremoteworkersspending$55permonthversusthe$59permonthofficeworkersspent.Additionally,ithelpstheenvironmentbydecreasingthenumberofpeopletakingcars,trains,andbusestoandfromtheoffice. Alongwiththecostsavings,respondentssaidtheynoticedthattheyhadmorefreetimeoncetheircommuteswereeliminated.Onaverage,employeessaidtheyhadanextra17days’worthoffreetimeasaresult. Someofthatregainedtimehasgonetobuildinghealthierexercisehabits.Accordingtoresearchers,remoteemployeesspenttwohoursand44minutesonphysicalexerciseeachweek,markinga25-minuteincreaseoverofficeworkers. Additionally,sicknessspreadsquicklyamongco-workerssharingthesameofficespace.Officesaretypicallypackedwithpeoplewhoworkincloseproximitytooneanotherandsharegermswithoutevenrealizingit.Withthespreadofthecoronavirus,manystateshaveissuedstay-at-homeorders,andmanycompanieshavemandatedthatemployeesworkfromhometo“flattenthecurve”ofthepandemic.AllowingyourteamtoworkfromhomehelpsstopthespreadofCOVID-19betweenmembersofyourstaffwithotheremployeesandtheirfamilies.ManagingworkrelationshipsOneofthedownsidesofworkingfromhomeisthatitcanbemoredifficultforemployeestoconnectwiththeirco-workers.Accordingtothestudy,70%ofrespondentssaidmaintainingrelationshipswiththeirco-workerswasjustasimportantastheirjobs.Only19%saidtheyprioritizedworkoverrelationships,whiletheremaining11%saidco-workerrelationshipswereahigherpriority. Asanemployer,considerusingvideoconferencingorvirtualphonesystemsuchasGrasshoppertogetyouremployeestogetheratleastonceaweek,sotheystillfeellikethey’repartoftheteam.[Readourrecommendationsofthebestvideoconferencingservices.] However,toomuchcontactmighthinderperformance.Whileit’snicetobefriendswithyourco-workers,researchersfoundthatsuchrelationshipscanbeadistraction.Officeworkersspentanaverageof66minutesperdaydiscussingnonworktopics,whileremoteemployeesonlyspent29minutesdoingthesame.Managerswerefoundtobeparticularlydistracting,astheywerefoundtospendnearly70minutestalkingaboutnonworktopicscomparedtothe38minutesspentonaveragebynonmanagers. Managerialdistraction,asaresult,affectedremoteworkerslessthantheiroffice-basedco-workersat15%and22%,respectively. AndrewMartinsalsocontributedtothereportingandwritinginthisarticle.ImageCredit:baranq/Shutterstock SammiCaramelaBusinessNewsDailyContributingWriterSammiCaramelahasalwayslovedwords.Whensheisn'twritingforbusiness.comandBusinessNewsDaily,she'swriting(andfuriouslyediting)herfirstnovel,readingaYAbookwithathirdcupofcoffee,orattendinglocalpop-punkconcerts.SheisalsothecontentmanagerforLightningMediaPartners.Checkouthershortstoriesin"NightLight:HauntedTalesofTerror,"whichissoldonAmazon.BuildYourCareerSeeMore>Updated12.01.21CommunicationTechnologyandInclusionWillShape...Workingremotelyhastraditionallyheldabadreputation,butmore...Updated11.19.21HowtoSuccessfullyManageYourRemoteWorkforceRemoteworkforcesareheretostay.Here'showtomanageone...Updated01.14.2220EasyWaystoBoostYourProductivityWantafewsimple,low-techwaystoboostyourproductivityinthe...Updated03.18.22SurveysRevealWhatSomeWouldGivetoEndTheir...Severalrecentsurveyshaveexaminedhowemployees'dailycommutes...Updated02.10.223StepstoEliminateWorkplaceStressWorkplacestresscanhaveaphysicalandpsychologicalimpacton...info@businessnewsdaily.com2005thAvenue,2ndFloorWaltham,MA02451©2022business.comAllRightsReserved.ResourcesHowtoStartaBusinessHowtoMarketYourBusinessHowtoHireForYourBusinessLatestSiteMapOurCompanyAboutUsAdvertiseWithUsPrivacyPolicyDoNotSellMyPersonalInformationTermsofUseAccessibilityCopyrightPolicyAdvertisingDisclosureOurBrandsBusiness.comBuyerZoneContactUsinfo@businessnewsdaily.com2005thAvenue,2ndFloorWaltham,MA02451©2022business.comAllRightsReserved.