In 2019, millions of tech workers were doing their jobs from an office, knowing full well they could have done their jobs from home. Then in 2020— well, you know what happened. Covid changed everything, and suddenly, tech workers weren’t just doing their jobs from home— they were doing them well. Big tech companies, most notably Twitter, announced that employees could work from home indefinitely. But as restrictions eased, many companies rushed to “normalize” their work environments by insisting that their employees go back to the office. There’s only one problem though— employees aren’t interested. They love the work-life balance and reduced stress associated with working from home. And we love it too! Since we specialize in helping professionals improve their business English so they can get great new remote tech jobs— and, because we’re big believers in positive, healthy professional cultures— we’re big believers in the power of remote work too! Here are three big reasons why remote work is a smart move for companies of all sizes. Take notes, boss!
Remote Work Saves Companies Money
The best thing about remote work is that it requires very little office space. In practical terms, this can lead to demonstrable savings. When factoring in the decreased demand for office space, as well as the decreased need for supplies and in-office perks, a company can save $11,000 per employee even if they only allow them to work from home half the time. The employees will save money too: not having to commute can save an employee at least $2,000 annually. Even pre-Covid, companies saw the benefits of remote work. Sun Microsystems was way ahead of the curve when they eliminated physical “seats” in their offices. They reaped the rewards in a big way— $68 million of savings a year, to be exact.
This leaves only one question. In an age where workers can do their jobs from anywhere, why in the world would companies spend lots of money on office space? The only reasonable explanation is fear— fear that employees were slacking off and not adhering to policy. That mindset says a lot more about the culture of these companies than anything else. Fear-based company cultures are terrified of remote work, and the idea of not having an in-person staff to micromanage is driving many of these companies to force employees back as soon as they legally can.
If you’re interested in additional evidence of how remote work makes logical financial and social sense, check this article out from TopTal.
Remote Work Is Better For the Environment
Remote work benefitting the planet isn’t an argument that is commonly heard— but it should be! On top of the financial savings and quality of life increases afforded by remote work, the impact on the planet cannot be understated. Before Covid, American workers spent an average of nine full days on the road each year commuting to work. That results in a lot of pollution, and a lot of stress. According ton environmental group known as Breathe London, a city the size of London, with a mostly remote workforce, can cut greenhouse gas emissions by 3.3 million tons! Just imagine what that could do for the rest of the world. In addition, working from home reduces plastic waste and reduces power consumption.
Remote Workers Are Productive
If remote workers weren’t productive, then there’d be no valid argument for remote work in the first place. But they are productive, and they’ve proven it over the last two years. Remote workers didn’t just maintain their rate of productivity— it actually increased by 47%, which surprised many. Now that tech workers have proven that working remotely well, works, it’s time to start demanding it. Companies that are able to adapt to the common-sense appeal of remote work are going to flourish— and the ones who are stuck in the past will go the way of the dinosaur.
Verbalize Now wants to be at the forefront of the remote work revolution. Our online business English classes are designed especially for tech workers. Best of all, since we were founded by two people who left their home countries to work, you will find a positive and helpful group of teachers who will support your dream of working abroad.
