Top 9 benefits of working from home
Working from home can be an intriguing career move for many employees.
Not only does it eliminate mundane activities such as long hours of commuting, but it also gives employees more freedom. Depending on your preferred work style, working from home can be a great option for you.
This article will cover everything you need to know about working from home, including the kinds of jobs you can get, the top nine benefits of working from home, and whether it’s the best option for you.
What are work-from-home jobs?
Remote work, hybrid work, telecommuting, and home office are some of the terms that are used to describe a work circumstance where the employee isn’t physically present in the office or with the customer of their service. There are different types of work-from-home jobs, including:
Full-time work-from-home jobs
Full-time work-from-home jobs refer to jobs that are done on a full-time basis where employees work between 35–40 hours per week. However, instead of doing these jobs in the office, employees get to perform their duties from the comfort of their homes.
Many companies offer full-time work-from-home jobs for several different positions. With the global pandemic, more companies have shifted to these types of jobs.
Often, these include positions such as:
Social media managers
Administrative assistants
Account managers
Software and program developers
Graphic designers
Bookkeepers and accountants
And more.
Hybrid work
Hybrid work, also known as flexible work, refers to jobs that allow employees to have flexibility with their work environment — where they can switch between working from home and working in-office.
This shouldn’t be confused with hybrid jobs that refer to a position with responsibilities made up of two separate jobs.
The company determines the extent of hybrid work — with some companies allowing employees more flexibility than others.
Some companies may allow employees to work from home part of the week and in-office the remainder of the week, while others may have their employees work from home most of the time.
Remote jobs
Remote jobs refer to employees working from anywhere besides the company office. As long as they have wi-fi and a reliable computer, they’re able to work remotely, whether that be in their own home office space, in a cafe, or even at a resort.
Remote work is becoming extremely desirable amongst job seekers, which is why 30% of global employees worked remotely in 2020.
Sometimes remote workers won’t solely work in their homes but will meet with different clients in different locations. For example, a sales executive may be responsible for working between their home office and seeing clients in different areas.
Remote employees often have flexible hours and work environments — meaning that they can choose when they want to work.
Find out which companies will pay you to move and work for them.
What are the perks of working from home?
These are the top nine benefits of working from home:
1. Exclusion of commute time
In 2019, the average one-way commute in the U.S. was 27.6 minutes. If you calculate it both ways, that’s around 18.4 hours per month. Most of those hours are spent driving to and from work.
Remote jobs decrease your commute drastically since you’re able to work from your home office — which is seen as a massive advantage.
2. Better work-life balance
Since many remote jobs come with flexible schedules, employees can choose their working hours and when to start and end their workday.
As long as their work is complete and leads to good results for the company, remote employers often don’t mind when these employees work.
As such, remote workers have complete control over their work schedule, which leaves a lot of room for them to tend to their personal life needs. 63% of employees see flexible working schedules as one of the main benefits of working from home.
Whether they need to drop their kids off at school, attend a fitness class, or go to the supermarket, all these tasks are made possible through remote work.
3. Increased productivity
When working from home, employees don’t have to deal with constant office distractions and interruptions like they would at work. A quieter workplace often helps them get their work done faster and better without the risk of burnout.
Additionally, there are fewer work politics and fewer (or more efficient) meetings. All of these factors lead to higher levels of productivity. 57% of tech employees say they are more productive when working at home.
If done right, remote work helps employees and employers focus on what really matters — which is high performance.
4. Location independence
One of the biggest benefits of working from home is having access to a broader span of job opportunities that aren’t limited by geographical location.
This can be extremely beneficial to workers who live in small towns or rural areas without many jobs.
Remote work makes it possible for people to have meaningful careers while living anywhere in the world (or even traveling the world).
Additionally, these types of jobs allow people to avoid high-rent and high-mortgage communities since they aren’t forced to stay in an area with a high cost of living like they would be if they had to work on-site.
5. Money savings
People who work from home can save money on many expenses that can be eliminated.
Things like gas, transportation, car maintenance, bought lunches, a professional wardrobe, and more are all expenses associated with full-time in-office work.
This can result in massive cost savings — giving you more money to spend on things you want, such as a vacation with your family, fancy dinners with your significant other, etc.
6. More independence
In typical office environments, employees are often bombarded with opinions from their co-workers regarding their projects and tasks. This makes it difficult for employees to stay true to their ideas and working styles.
Remote work makes it possible for employees to be more independent when it comes to their projects, and they’re able to cut out background noise.
As a result, their work will often be more creative since they’re able to add their own flair, and they’ll also get more satisfaction since they get to take complete ownership of their work.
7. Accommodates special needs
Only 17.9% of people with a disability were employed in the U.S. in 2020.
Remote work opens up a wide range of working opportunities for individuals with physical disabilities and mental health concerns since their homes are fully equipped to help them thrive in their work and well-being.
They can also provide themselves with the necessary self-care without the limitations they would’ve had if they had worked at a company office.
8. Improved technical skills
Working online often requires using technical applications to perform certain tasks. These include things like:
Online meetings with a remote team
Communication and team collaboration
Document sharing
Instant messaging
Therefore, remote work allows you to learn new technical skills that may not have been possible in the physical workplace.
As a result, improving your hard skills will open new doors for you and give you excellent career development opportunities.
Learn how to include your hard skills in your resume the right way.
9. Customizable office
When your workspace is comfortable and personalized, chances are you’ll be able to work a lot better and faster.
Work-from-home jobs give you the opportunity to customize your office and make it however you want it.
Whether this includes a more ergonomic chair for health reasons or more desk space so you can let the creative juices flow, you can create your office to suit your needs perfectly.
Is a work-from-home role right for you?
Working from home isn’t the right option for everyone. Some people may love it while others may hate it. While work-from-home jobs offer much more freedom and flexibility, these types of jobs also require more discipline and organization.
If you’re unsure whether it’s the best fit for you, you can read this article that’ll help you determine whether you should consider working from home.
Start working from home
Working from home has many great benefits. It all comes down to choosing which work style suits your lifestyle and needs best.
If you feel that a work-from-home role is the best fit for you, head over to this article, where we teach you the step-by-step process of how you can land a work-from-home job.
Comments
I'm interested
I prefer remote & office workplace. It is Important to interact with employees, etc.
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