Go Remote

Remote work

is a mutually beneficial offering – with wins for both employee and employer.

What are the benefits of remote work for the employee?

Morale and empowerment
Remote workers are generally happier, and this type of work must be accompanied by a sense of trust between manager and employee – this trust can help to empower those staff members;
Potential cost savings
While everyone’s commute is different, in a world where housing prices outpace income growth, especially around urban centres, fewer people are able to live where they work, leading to less vehicle maintenance and gas usage;
Flexibility in scheduling
Work/life balance
Remote allows for many employees to take back the time they previously spent commuting, and put it into exercise, sleep, or family activities.

What are the benefits of remote work for the employer?

Employee productivity: a well-known Stanford survey showed that remote work generates a minimum of 13% higher productivity over office-based employees
Business continuity: remote work is resistant to pandemics, natural disasters, winter weather, local power and internet outages;
Environment: less staff commuting helps the planet
Reduced real estate costs due to reduction in footprint;
Staff are more likely to remain with an employer long-term if they offer flexible work arrangements (including remote options), reducing hiring, training and onboarding costs.

How do I go remote?

While the COVID-19 pandemic offered an opportunity for many to try remote work who hadn’t previously, many still attend an office regularly, or work for companies that traditionally aren’t as open to remote settings, even for job functions that would normally allow for this arrangement.

As an employee, if you’re looking for opportunities to work remotely, its important to follow a few steps when approaching your company to suggest a remote arrangement:

Be informed: track your productivity closely to create a baseline, and research studies that speak to the productivity benefits of remote work;
Suggest a pilot: a remote work arrangement doesn’t need to be permanent immediately. Instead suggest a temporary arrangement which can be easier to approve, and gives your manager comfort that if it isn’t working out, it can be amended;
Present a plan: include objective metrics that will allow your manager to make an informed decision once the arrangement has been set, and allow them to justify to the company why they took such a stance.
Be patient: your efforts may not work the first time, or you may need to reorganize your pitch to make the arrangement more amenable to the employer.

Forbes has an excellent guide on how to structure a remote work proposal.

Already remote? Get in touch