Remote employment is an interesting topic that can arise in the workplace. In some cases, technology can see businesses have staff completely based off-site, or for a few days each week.

Of course, this can vary depending on the company, and certainly on the job role. Some sectors require members of staff to be in the office at all times, such as in retail, or medicine! Others, such as marketing, allow for some tasks to be done off-site.

What’s in it for you?

If you’re a business owner, the first thing that comes into mind is likely be, “what are the benefits for the business?” It doesn’t make you a bad employer, especially if you find it would be damaging to the business. After all, it’s your job to protect the interests of the business.

Remote work has a positive benefit, both on staff and results. Working remotely tends to make employees happy, and therefore productive. If they don’t have to be confined to a desk to do work, then remote work is a great option.

You will also be able to handle more staff this way. Without needing physical office space, you can employ as many people as you need, without having to invest in bigger office space to accommodate them.

You can also expand your recruitment pool to attract a wide area of talent. There might be the perfect person out there for your company who just can’t manage a 20-mile commute each day. Allowing for remote workers lets you recruit from a vast talent pool, including overseas workers.

As long as you have a good way of measuring work output so these privileges aren’t abused, you will open your doors to plenty of eager applicants. However, to say there are no negatives would be unfair. One of the disadvantages of having staff work remotely is the difficulties creating team culture. Without getting the chance to meet face to face, grab coffee together, or chit-chat about home life, it makes it more difficult for a team to click, but not impossible.

What’s in it for them?

More and more people are opening up to the idea of remote work. In this day and age, people want to be free to travel and experience the world. Someone straight out of university might not be ready to settle down into office life, but allowing them to work while they travel can produce great results.

Some people just are unable to work in an office. Whether this is due to ill-health, caring for family members, or even having office anxiety. Allowing workers the freedom to work at a time which suits them, and at their pace, is great news for them. It gives a resource for those who have the talent.

People in these situations often have a hard time finding work because most companies won’t bend on their schedules. By having a remote work policy, you will be opening your doors to a magnitude of workers who will be grateful to work for you. This kindness will often be repaid with happy, loyal workers.

Even if full-time remote work couldn’t be offered, the chance to have a flexible schedule is seen as a working bonus for most people. Being something that few companies offer, this will greatly increase the happiness and work output of a person.

Why not give it a try?

With technology these days making remote work more and more accessible, you’ll likely have few problems finding a suitable setup for remote employees. Programs such as Slack allow for great team communication, as well as programs such as Asana for streamlined project management.

Would you be interested in giving remote work a go at your business? Do you already allow employees to work from home? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

Want to learn more?

Subscribe to our newsletter to get accounting tips like this right to your inbox

About The Author

Elizabeth Hughes

A content writer specialising in business, finance, software, and beyond. I'm a wordsmith with a penchant for puns and making complex subjects accessible. Learn more about Elizabeth.

More posts by this author