“Back to Work” or “Work From Home” the Biggest Business Decision of 2021
By: Dustin Craft
Tags: Workfromhome, Flexible Work, Remote Work, Covid 19, Videoconference

Photo by Wes Hicks on Unsplash

Companies have a lot to consider for the upcoming year regarding physical workspace. Many white collar workers are starting to get a taste of full-time remote work. And they like it. However, traditional offices still have a vital role to play as a hub for collaboration and company culture. It’s very likely that future workspaces are going to be a blend of the two, but it’s up to companies to decide what works best for their situation.

Below are points supporting both arguments.

Work From Home (WFH) Saves Money

One reason why companies are seriously considering remote work in the future is because of significantly reduced costs. On average, companies pay over $10,000/year for a single employee to occupy a desk. Costs include necessities like equipment, maintenance costs, and overhead. And this is just the bare basics. Companies typically pay thousands of dollars more per year on employee retention through events like end-of-year parties, company outings, and training.

Money saved on space could be re-invested in programs and equipment to increase productivity as well. Employees would be able to take lessons on remote collaboration, stress reduction, and time management and additional funds could be used to ensure better connectivity between remote team members through quality conferencing equipment.

Companies aren’t the only ones saving through remote work, however. Employees have been able to cut costs and save hundreds of dollars per month by reducing their commute time, making meals and coffee at home, and dressing down.

Offices Provide Consistency and Stability

Not every employee will want to work remotely full-time, however. Whether it’s because an office environment is more comfortable, too many distractions are waiting at home, or a traditional workspace is more productive for that individual, when an employee works in an office, they know what to expect.

Office environments are also vital to maintaining a consistent company culture. Employees can get a better idea of what’s happening at their company and watch it grow from the inside-out rather than contribute from a distance. Those who identify closely with a company may try to look elsewhere if they notice company culture diminishing.

Work From Home Encourages Employee Well-Being

WFH extends well beyond COVID-19 in terms of safeguarding employee health. Employees often feel compelled to come in to work despite being sick or unwell. In fact, 68% of American’s don’t use all their available PTO, a testament to their obsession with the workplace and fear of requesting time off during the holidays.

Working from home enables employees to prioritize themselves and their health over the obligation they feel they have towards their colleagues. This includes scheduling trips to the doctor, taking time to exercise, and arranging quiet times throughout the day without the fear of scrutiny.

Offices Are Better for Exchanging Important Information

Despite enormous leaps and bounds with remote conferencing, face-to-face meetings still have significant importance. Effective communication is expressed through tone of voice and body language more than the actual words. This means that important details of a meeting can go unnoticed especially if an employee has poor signal or sub-par hardware.

Teams should see the office as a destination for sharing ideas and information that’s too complex, sensitive, or important to do remotely. After the details of a project are made clear to a team, video conferencing can take over to help keep teams in check and on course.

Work From Home Allows Companies To Hire More Qualified Applicants

Without the need to commute every day to work, employees will be able to apply to more jobs and companies will be able to hire from a wider pool of candidates. Primary benefits include greater employee diversity, reduced turnover and fewer costs.

Companies should still consider HOW far away an employee lives from the physical location, however. Employees should be able to work within the same time frame and collaborate with team members in person when necessary.

Both Are Undergoing Radical Improvements

Companies ready to have employees return to work are indicating that the workspace is safer, more accommodating, and better prepared than it was previously. This means they have implemented digital signage to encourage employees of safe practices, booking solutions to prevent clustering and contact tracing to quickly locate infected employees.

Solutions for work at home employees have also increased in recent months. Apps catering to project management, scheduling, and storage are helping teams to collaborate and achieve projects remotely in lieu of meeting in person and tutorial courses are becoming increasingly popular for anyone new to remote work.

Conclusion

The “new” work environment is going to be a marriage between the physical and remote workplace that highlights employee well-being, productivity, and teamwork. Future employees will be given more autonomy than ever before and companies will be able to recruit the most qualified applicants with fewer restraints and reduced costs. The office will always be an important component of effective business transactions and company culture, but it will likely no longer be the place where people spend 30% of their lives.