Can You Be More Productive Working From Home?
Much of the business world was forced to accept remote work after COVID-19 protocols and social distancing changed normal working practices. Since then, many employees have grown to enjoy working from home, with some even becoming willing to take a pay cut or quit their jobs for the sake of continuing remote work. As the world has acclimated to many employees working from home, employers have gained a better understanding of the pros and cons of working from home.
Lucy Lyle, entrepreneur and founder of Perch, commented, “Historically, many employers have had wary attitudes toward remote work because it was commonly believed that employees’ productivity would suffer without supervision from a manager. However, a lot of recent studies have told a different story.” Lucy Lyle continued, “Remote work isn’t a perfect fit for all employees, but some actually are more productive while working from home, showing that it does have merit.”
The data does show some surprising numbers in light of the common attitudes about remote work. In one study by Owl Labs, 90% of employees said that their productivity levels were either the same as or higher than their productivity levels when working at a traditional office. Another study by Connect Solutions even showed 77% of employees exhibiting increased productivity when working from home, with 30% doing more work in less time.
Lucy Lyle addresses these findings by saying, “It is imperative for companies to find out which workers are best suited for remote work because they can save a lot of time and money by keeping the most productive remote workers at home. If an employee is sufficiently disciplined and self-motivated, they are the ideal remote worker who can make the most of the opportunities presented to them.”