Since the first quarter of 2020 remote work trends and expectations have changed. Employers weren’t prepared for their entire workforce to work from home but thanks to technology and innovation it’s working out well for many employers.
All around the world, more and more employers are embracing flexible schedules for their remote teams leading to new remote work trends and more remote work options.
Is remote work here to stay and are employees more productive?Let’s see what the remote work statistics and trends tell us.
Upwork estimates that 22% of the workforce (36.2 Million Americans) will work remotely by 2025.
That being said, remote work has emerged as a widespread practice in the modern workplace, with a growing number of companies effectively adopting and implementing the concept.
Embracing the new remote work trendswhile creating a strong remote work culturehas become the norm.
Furthermore. the company’s bottom line improved because of the increased diversity of its talent pool and the reduction of its administrative costs. Not to mention that the average employee can save up to $12,000 per year by working remotely according to Flexjobs.
Statistics On Remote Workers Explored
10,000 employees surveyedby theBecker Friedman Institute for Economics at the University of Chicago said they thought they were just as productive working from home compared to working in the office.
In fact, 30% of those respondents told researchers theywere more productive and engaged working from home.
This same survey team calculated that commuting time was reduced by62.4 million hours per day with aggregate time savings of over 9 billion hours starting from the middle of March 2020 to the middle of September 2020.
Less time spent commuting to and from work allowed more workers to relax and focus on their jobs. As a result of not having to worry about getting to work on time, workers can start their days on a positive note and show more enthusiasm for their work.
Approximately 75% of corporations now use interactive displays for meetings and collaboration, a figure expected to grow with the rise of remote and hybrid work, according to Saptshankari.
A report by Owl labs in 2021 found that 55% of respondents say they work more hours remotely than at the physical office. This same report found that only 36% of people believe the office is best suited for individual work.
32% of those surveyed by Owl Labs said they would quit their job if they were not able to continue working remotely.
What percentage of jobs areremote?
In the United states the labor force reached a high of 164.6millionpeople working in February 2020 just before the Pandemic got into full swing.
Statistics on remote workers reveal that more than 4.7 million people work remotely at least half the time in the United States. 44% of companies do not allow remote work and only 16% of companies hire remote only workers.
Globally, 16% of companies are fully remote according to an Owl labs study. This same study found that about 62% of workers aged 22 to 65 claim to work remotely at least occasionally.
This study also found that 44% of companies do not allow remote work of any kind.
Useful Statistics On Remote Workers
Asurvey by Owl labsfound the following:
- Remote employees save an average of 40 minutes daily from commuting.
- Since 2020 people have been meeting by video calls 50% more since COVID-19.
- During COVID-19 close to 70% of full-time workers are working from home.
- After COVID-1992%of people surveyed expect to work from home at least 1 day per week and80%expected to work at least 3 days from home per week.
- 23% of those surveyed would take a 10% pay cut to work from home permanently.
- People are saving on average close to 500 dollars per month being at home during COVID-19. Resulting in savings close to $6000 per year.
- A mere 20-25% of companies are paying some of the cost for home office equipment and furnishings.
- 81% of those surveyed believe their employer will continue to support remote work after COVID-19.
- 59% of respondents said they would be more likely to choose an employer who offered remote work compared to those who didn’t.
Are Remote Workers More Productive?
The numbers say remote workers are more productive in many cases but not in all situations.
The future of work report by Upwork found that22.5%of survey managers said productivity had decreased compared to32.2%of hiring managers that said productivity has increased since their employees started working from home in 2020.
Their performance was boosted by22%when employees were able to work from home a study byStanford found.
Mercer, an HR and workplace benefits consulting firm surveyed800 employers.94% of these employersstated the work productivity was the same or higher since employees started working from home.
Why Are Remote Workers More Productive?
Remote workers are more productive because they have no commute, less or no office small talk, fewer distractions, more time for family, exercise, a higher quality of life, and better overall work-life balance.
Job satisfaction is critical to keeping employee productivity high and lowering employee turnover.
Companies that allow their employees to be telecommuters also recommend their company to their friends seeking work more often than companies that don’t.
Typically, worker productivity increases when organizations provide remote employees with access to webinar with lectures on topics relevant to their jobs or career advancement.
In addition, they have the option to move laterally inside the organization, thus expanding their horizons and providing them with new opportunities.
Are Remote Workers Happier?
A survey report conducted by Owl labs suggests remote workers are happier and stay in their jobs longer. They also found that workers who wereworking at homereported being happy22%more than workers who always work in an onsite office environment.
These remote workers reported having less stress, more focus, and a better work-life balance. The remote workers also worked over 40 hours a week43%more compared to workers that never worked remotely.
It’s clear this remote work trend is increasing by the day and could be a key to employee retention. Another model that is also gaining traction is the hybrid working model where workers are in the office part of the week and at home working part of the week.
Giving employees more choices may give them more flexibility and improve their general wellness. Since they have more time to spend with their families and friends, they’ll develop a happier disposition that could translate into the quality of their work output.
It’s worth noting that when your employees are happy and satisfied, their loyalty to the company also increases, eliminating the chances of being enticed to transfer to another company even if there’s a better offer.
Benefits Of Working From Home For Employers And Employees
Global Workplace Analyticsestimates that employers can save over 11,000 dollars per year per employee. The savings are from the lower cost of office space, increased productivity, reduced absenteeism, and less turnover.
They also estimate savings for employees in the $2,500 and $4,000 per year range. This is due to lowered food costs, fuel costs, parking, car insurance premiums, and car maintenance.
Working From Home is Good For The Environment
An increase in telecommuting means fewer cars on the road. Transportation accounts for 28% of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States according to the EPA.
The EPA statistics also show that light-duty vehicles such as cars make up 59% and medium to heavy-duty trucks make up 23% of the emissions.
This is happening because 86% of commuters drive a private vehicle to work according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Fewer cars on the road now and in the future will lower greenhouse gas emissions significantly.
With fewer people driving on the highways every day the transportation infrastructure of the United States is impacted less. This is a remote work trend everyone can get on board with.
Do employees want to return to the office?
A survey by slack of 9,000 workers in six countries found that 72% prefer a hybrid remote-office model with only 12% preferring to always work in an office setting. They also found that 13% would like to always work from home if given the choice.
PwC conducted a similar survey of 1,200 US office workers and 120 executives in 2020. 73% percent of those executives surveyed found that working remotely has been a success.
PwC survey also found that 72% of those workers surveyed would like to continue working from home for at least 2 days a week even when they can go back to the office full time. 32% said they would like to work from home permanently.
The same executives in the PwC survey expected to need 30% less office space in the next three years.
Is Remote Work Here To Stay?
Remote work is a hot topic these days and by all accounts, it will keep increasing into the next decade.
Below are some estimates and predictions from several sources that drive that point home.
A survey conducted by Upwork of1,500 hiring managers foundthat due to COVID-19, 61.9% of the companies were planning more remote work now and in the following years to come. Accelerating the remote work trend that has been going on for the past few years.
This same report predicts36.2 million workersor 22% of Americans will be working remotely by the year 2025. This is an87% increasefrom pre-pandemic levels.
Global Workplace Analytics estimates that 56% of W2 workers or 75 million employers could work from home if their employers allowed it.
Global Workplace Analytics estimates that25-30%of the workforce will work from home for several days a week by the end of 2021.
The CEO of Facebook stated that he expects50% of their workforceto be working remotely by 2030.
Working from home has many benefits including less office space costs for employers. The numbers tell the story and it looks like the remote worker trend will continue.
Conclusion
Whether employers are ready or not remote working is here to stay at least for the next few years. There will always be those that prefer working in an office. Industries such asfood, retail, and construction need workers working on-site daily.
Statistics On Remote Workers will continue to be researched. However, new tools must be embraced for remote teams and new strategies developed for this new type of remote or hybrid workforce.
Employers must find the right balance of in-office and remote workforces that will make their company effective as possible.Embracing the new remote work trends has become the norm.
Giving your worker’s workplace flexibility and flexible work arrangements. will give you an advantage over other employers
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