Does Working from Home Boost Productivity?

Over the past few years, more people have started working from home due to the pandemic. This allowed companies to keep their employees working, even though they couldn’t work on-site because of pandemic health concerns.

Working from home has many advantages. You don’t have to commute, and you don’t have to dress up as much. One study showed that working from home can also boost productivity. In this article, I’ll explain the findings from the study and how employees can use them to convince their employers to let them work from home.

The basics of the study.

In the Stanford study, researchers divided 500 employees into two groups.

One group worked at the office, while the other group worked from home. The people who worked from home had to work from a separate room in their homes. They also had to have worked at least six months with the company and decent broadband access.

What did they find?

The study showed that people who worked from home were much more productive than those who worked in the office.

People who work from home worked a full shift instead of showing up late or leaving early several times a week.

They also found it less distracting and easier to concentrate at home.

Employees who worked from home also took shorter breaks, fewer sick days, and less time off, which added to their productivity.

There were also fewer carbon emissions because of fewer morning commutes.

The company also saved $2,000 per employee on rent because they needed less office space.

The one negative finding was that the work from home employees changed their minds about working from home all the time because they felt too isolated.

What action did the company take?

Because of the study, the company recommended allowing employees to work from home at least part of the time.

How can I use this study to convince my boss to let me work from home?

If you’re considering asking your boss for a work-from-home arrangement, this study could be a good way to convince them. If you know you work better with fewer distractions, that might also be a good selling point.

Other points you can use to convince your boss to let you work from home are:

1. It reduces overhead costs - Depending on the business, it could save as much as $12,000 per employee annually. That can add up, especially over a few years and with more than one employee telecommuting.

2. It helps businesses retain employees - Giving employees the option to work from home improves employee satisfaction, ultimately helping a company retain its employees.

3. It allows them to hire the best talent, anywhere. - Hiring people who work from home allows managers to extend their talent pool to find the best candidates. Also, if the business relies heavily on custome service and sales, the ability to hire people in different time zones helps you provide more customer service coverage, or extend your sales territory withou thaving to rent or build an office.

4. It means fewer sick days. Employees are less likely to be absent from work becaus eof illness, because owrking from home lowers stress, allows more time for exercise because of reduced commuting time, and reduces exposure to germs.

5. Employees can work longer. Employees who work from home can work longer since they don't have a commute - one spouse who has to commute to work gets less work done than one who works from home.

Another bonus of allowing employees to work from home is that when fewer employees are commuting to work, your business becomes more environmentally friendly.

How to approach your boss

1. Make sure it can work. Make sure it's a good option before you proceed. If your position requires a lot of communcation, either with co-workers or clients, it may not make sense.

2. Work it into your goals. Find out what your boss's goal is for you, and then explain how working from home will improve your chance of hitting those goals. In the end, if you can make the job easier or less stressful, that's what your boss is looking for.

3. Present a well-thought out plan. Research the benefits of telecommuting, show your boss the resources and technology you have available, and how you will resolve issues if you run into a problem while working offsite. Also explain to your boss how you'll safeguard proprietary information.

Working from home isn’t ideal for all jobs, but more companies need to consider at least a partial work from home arrangement for employees who don’t have to be on-site. It could help them boost their productivity and ultimately help the company make more money.