Over the past 2 years, (yes, it’s been almost 2 years) of the pandemic, tons of companies have made the transition to working from home full time. It’s been an adjustment for all and for some, it’s something they would prefer to have in the future. Through my LinkedIn profile, I’ve seen lots of people asking the question “in the future, would you rather work from home entirely, be back in office entirely, or have a hybrid workplace?” Most times the answers weigh heavily on the ‘work from home entirely’ with the 2nd option as having the ability to split time between home and the office.
With a hopeful light at the end of the tunnel regarding the pandemic in the future, it begs the question, is working from home the new era of work and will it benefit companies and employees in the long run?
A report on Statistics Canada showed that roughly 40% of Canadian jobs can be done from home. Within that number, the report states that 58% of workers reported accomplishing the same amount of work per hour as they did in their previous place of work, and 32% reported accomplishing more work per hour. Employees are utilizing their time more efficiently from home thus benefitting companies’ productivity rates.
Personally, I find myself more productive working from home partially due to cutting out commuting time and having a quiet working environment with minimal distractions.
Working from home has other benefits that can play into the company’s ability to retain its employees. The cost of commuting whether it be fuel or transportation gives people the ability to put their money towards other things. Employees also have more time for personal happiness due to the cut in commuting time.
There can be downsides to working from home, the virtual world can make it difficult to connect with their co-workers or get that face-to-face time. Employees can find it difficult when starting virtually at a new company. These are all issues that can be addressed by having a system in place that can help those that may feel isolated or have a hard time connecting.
We’ve seen over the past 2 years that working from home has become a new normal with lots of companies adopting the system permanently. So, we ask the question, would you prefer to solely work from home, have a hybrid work environment, or go back to the office full time?
Written by Jacqueline Lavergne, Digital Marketing Manager at RehvUp Technologies Inc