Telecommuting Is Here To Stay - Work Smart. Live Smart.

It’s not a bird. Nor a plane…It’s the Telecommuter!

Telecommuting is here to stay. Some employers will continue to insist that employees come back into the office post pandemic. However, it is projected that 25% of all professional jobs in North America will be remote. Job burnout has jumped to an all-time high which caused those employees to have a lack of interest, motivation and energy for their work.

The Mental Health Impact of Telecommuting

Prior to the pandemic, a survey of Transport Canada employees who telecommuted three days a week experienced a

46% decrease in stress
45% increase in job satisfaction
30% increase in job productivity

According to the 2021 State of Remote Work Report from Owl Labs, 2021 was the year the world stayed remote. 90% of the 2,050 full-time remote workers surveyed said they were as productive or more productive working remotely, compared to when they toiled in the office. Another 74% said after the pandemic, working from home is better for their mental health. 84% reported that working remotely after the pandemic would make them happier, with many even willing to take a pay cut.

Telecommuting Will Be The Norm Moving Forward

Telecommuting provides an opportunity to create a more harmonious balance between home and work commitments. Three-fourths of the employees from the Transport Canada employees polled said the ability to work from home was their most desired family-friendly job perk.

Those leaders who still view remote work as temporary or unorthodox, risk losing valuable employees and may no longer be as competitive as the work world evolves around them. Leaders must rethink their workplace culture to be more inclusive of remote and hybrid work, as this will be the new normal.

Beverly’s Tips For Building Resilience and Celebrating Telecommuter Appreciation Week:

While technology has made telecommuting easier and more feasible than ever before, it is not without its pitfalls, for employers and employees alike. A key issue for companies with telecommuting employees is quantifying whether and how much work is being done. It is incumbent upon leaders to institute clearly achievable goals with attached deadlines.

Commuting is a huge source of stress for many employees. Not only do employees spend time in cars or on public transportation, getting no work done, they are also more stressed by their commutes on their way to the office. With the increase in gas prices and the increase in work related stress, telecommuting, can for some, be a viable option, that allows for an increase in productivity and more sense of control over when tasks get accomplished.

As a leader sit down with your team and discuss how telecommuting may be implemented and if isn’t the answer, at least you have opened the door to looking for other alternatives to maintaining mental health and building resiliency to meet life’s challenges.