10 Surprising Benefits of Remote Work According to the Experts

With a growing portion of the workforce being forced into hybrid or entirely remote work, we’ve answered a lot of the questions raised by remote work, including ways to improve communication and collaboration within remote teams, and are starting to see the benefits of remote work for employees and employers. 

Working in your pajamas and raiding your kitchen for snacks throughout the day are the most common benefits we’ve all seen, but there’s more to remote work than that. 

We spoke with experts worldwide, and here are 10 of the most surprising benefits of remote work they have seen.

1. Better Family Relationships

Remote work benefits your work-life balance by allowing you to be near your family more and improve your relationship with them. 

Kieran Knight from Fitness Home HQ said, “Before, I used to wake up early to go to the office then come home quite late at night since a CEO's job is really taxing. I can only spend time with my family during weekdays. Now, I am able to spend more time with my family, especially my kids. We have grown a lot closer since I stay at home most of the time. I was able to cook for them, assist them in their online classes, and play with them.” 

Daniella Ingrao from Produce8 has also seen the benefits of remote work and its impact on her work-life balance: 

“Not having to commute to work in the mornings and evenings means more quality time with my family. And the flexible nature of remote work enables me to structure my work time around my personal time, as opposed to the other way around. For example, now when I take breaks during my workday, instead of sitting in a lunchroom or at my desk, I take 30 minutes to do a workout or meditate, get a head start on making dinner for my family, or run errands in my neighbourhood.” 

Cam Woodsum from Freedom Is Everything agrees that, “Remote work saves employees hours in commuting time, enables them to work whenever they feel most productive instead of just 9-5 hours, and thus lets them spend more time with their family and doing what they love outside of work.” 

2. Less Office Drama

The office is a great place to make friends and make lasting relationships, but it’s also easy to create office drama that can distract from work. 

Some experts like Dan Close from We Buy Houses in Kentucky have noticed that working remotely has helped remote workers ignore office drama, “They have a distinct advantage over office workers who may find it difficult to concentrate due to office gossip and power struggles.”

Janet Coleman from The Consumer Mag has also seen the benefit of avoiding office drama. She said remote workers, “Don’t have to deal with distractions like office politics, gossiping colleagues, and watercooler conversations. Their work-life balance tends to be better, which means they’re less likely to burn out.” 

3. Explore the World While Working

In most companies, the only qualification for working remotely is that you have a stable internet connection. Nothing says remote workers have to stay at home while they work, making it possible to travel and work. 

Adem Gunel of Rockstar Marketing said, “For me, the biggest benefit is that I can travel whilst I work. I’ve been living in and around Eastern Europe for the past 18 months, and I love it. However, everywhere I go, I make sure I join a co-working space.”

4. Improved Job Satisfaction

Remote workers experience less stress, use fewer sick days, and have less burnout than their coworkers. Remote work helps employees be happy with their work, which improves job satisfaction and productivity. 

The experts at Buffer have found that 94% of workers want to work remotely. By offering remote work, employees get what they want from their job and are more satisfied with their careers. 

Tyler Martin from Think Tyler said, “The main advantage of remote work is happier, healthier work life. Remote flexible workers are generally happier and more loyal employees, in part because working from home has been demonstrated to reduce stress, allow more time for hobbies and interests, and improve personal relationships, among other benefits.” 

5. Cost Savings

The soft costs of employment are significantly reduced when workers choose to go remote. Janet Coleman at The Consumer Mag said, “Even if a company offers a remote employee some reimbursement for expenses like phone or internet service, it’s still much cheaper than providing office space for everyone. While some small businesses offer telecommuting to all employees by default, others give it as a perk to top talent to attract and retain them – which is another cost-saving measure.” 

6. Improved Inclusivity and Equality

Remote work acts as an equalizer for everyone involved. There are no more corner offices or heads of the table when working digitally. Everyone has the same tools, making it easy to embrace diversity and inclusion. 

Anthony Mixides from Bond Media said, “Companies choose to support diversity, community, and family by hiring individuals who can work from home in the communities where they feel most comfortable and supported. Telecommute jobs allow those who might struggle to find consistent employment at an onsite job, such as those with disabilities or carers who require a flexible schedule, to pursue their career goals without having to worry about driving back and forth to an office. It also allows employees to travel to doctor’s appointments and other healthcare appointments as needed.”

7. Less Pollution

Working from home removes commuting times and the CO2 emissions involved with your commute. Remote work has helped improve the air quality and lessen the company’s carbon footprint. 

Adam Wood from RevenueGeeks has claimed, “The main advantage, in my opinion, is the favorable environmental impact. Before the epidemic, the 3.9 million employees who worked from home at least half the time decreased greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of removing almost 600,000 cars off the road for an entire year. For those who work at least part-time from home, 7.8 billion vehicle miles are avoided each year, 3 million tons of greenhouse gasses are avoided, and $980 million in oil savings are realized.” 

8. Better Disaster Preparedness

Remote workers have made it easy for companies to become more resilient and withstand future natural disasters.

Sep Niakan from Condo Blackbook said, “Developing a remote work contingency plan in the event of a natural disaster or local emergency is a wise decision. Non-essential onsite staff may work from home or another flexible workspace during a crisis. A temporary telework action plan will help to protect your employees while also keeping your business running smoothly.” 

9. Better Access to Qualified Candidates

When you require every employee to work in your office, you limit your potential pool of employees to only those willing to live near your location. By broadening your options to include remote workers, you open up the job market and can better find qualified employees for your company. 

Daniel Foley from Planday agrees that, “By removing geographic constraints that separate organizations from the best candidates for open positions, telework reduces hiring limits and leads to more diverse workplaces. Hiring managers can identify, screen, and analyze candidates entirely online, from advertising job openings to accepting applications and conducting interviews. This recruitment strategy promotes aptitude, broadens the job pool, and assists businesses in addressing skills shortages, such as bilingual proficiency, that may exist in their local area.”

10. Less Micromanagement and More Trust

It’s difficult to micromanage employees when they’re miles away. Company leadership must trust employees to do their job without continually micromanaging them. 

Sharon van Donkelaar from Expandi has enjoyed the freedom and trust that comes with remote work. She said, “There’s no one watching over my shoulder, there’s no schedule that tells me when to sit in front of my desk, there’s no one telling me how many hours I can work, so this has been a great time to get to truly know how disciplined and professional I truly am.” 

Go Remote with Davinci Offices

Davinci offices make it possible for your employees to work remotely while still having the opportunity to work in a clean, professional environment. Learn more about our services for remote employees, teams, and companies.

About Coco Quillen

Coco is the Chief Operating Officer at Davinci Virtual Office Solutions. She manages the strategic development and operational implementation of services for Davinci. She works closely with all teams to ensure customers are well taken care of.