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However, COVID-19 has changed the role and conditions of home office work in Germany. For example, many companies allowed their employees to work from home to reduce the risk of infection [3]. More than half of all employees in Germany have potential access to a home office in principle, but this potential was barely realized before COVID-19 https://remotemode.net/blog/how-remote-work-can-benefit-employees-and-companies/ [2]. While only about 12% worked from home before the pandemic, this was possible for over 35% of Germans during the first lockdown in April 2020 [3]. The data vary modestly; [4] report that up to 26.5% of workers worked from home between March and April 2020. Hence, the proportion of employees WFH has more than doubled/almost tripled.
They should lay out clear guidelines around expectations for work hours and availability, communication protocols and performance metrics. These policies can help remote workers establish boundaries between work and personal life and reduce the risk of burnout. Telecommuting usually leads to fewer interruptions, less office politics, a quieter noise level, and less (or more efficient) meetings.
Communication becomes more efficient
Availability doesn’t just extend to work hours, either, as a team of researchers at Microsoft found. When the researchers there analyzed how workers were experiencing remote work, they found that even employees who had previously developed strong work-life boundaries found them blurring during the pandemic transition. With the many benefits of remote work for employers and employees, it’s here to stay and will continue to shape how we work in the years to come.
For each benefit, you’ll see a description, which types of companies it is best for (remote, office, hybrid), an example company who offers the benefit, and more. For Lauren, the downsides to remote working are a fair trade-off for the added convenience and increased time with her child. Kevin Rockman, a professor of management at George Mason University’s School of Business, US, points out that although there are undeniable issues when it comes to wellbeing, the net benefits for people like Lauren have been vast. Becca has worked from home for years now, which she prefers to working in the office.
FlexJobs Is SO Much More Than Just a Job Board
At the personal level, team members who disclose personal information, such as a favorite television show or the birth of a child, also build stronger connections and more trust. We are good stewards of space, share tables and make room for others. We embrace a workspace atmosphere that treats one another with dignity, respect and compassion.
In addition, cultural differences, such as how direct eye contact is perceived, influence the way people interact. Jacoby recommends that firms get company-wide buy-in for telework and include remote workers in all team- and company-wide events, via video conferencing when necessary. Now, to learn more about telecommuting and its implications for the future of work, psychologists are studying remote work’s benefits, drawbacks and best practices. A related line of research is also exploring how to maximize the effectiveness of geographically distributed teams that rely primarily on virtual means of communication. Working remotely is becoming more common, and companies and C-suite leadership are increasingly recognizing the financial and productivity benefits of flexible work situations.