Thanks to the rapid spread of COVID-19 people have started working remotely out of necessity, as more states order shelter-in-place protocols to fight the spread. A growing list of 20 states, including most of New England and the West Coast, have closed all bars and restaurants to the public, to curb the spread of the deadly virus. With over 4 million people working from home, the internet has allowed many of us to continue business as usual, with a few modifications.
Rewind to before the pandemic, in the last decade or so the remote workforce increased by at least 159% making e-econ an already growing sector. Employers find that remote work causes an increase in employee morale by 90%, reduces operating costs by 77%, and reduces sick days by 50%. Employees were found to be 57% more likely to be satisfied with their job and felt that they were more productive, and less stressed.
As you may know, there are some downsides to working remotely. A 2016 study followed a company that assigned a small group of its staff to work from home. In some cases employees felt isolated, disconnected, and uninformed. The biggest barriers by far have been system overhauls and adjusting to virtual communication as the only means of contact between employees and employers.
Fortunately there are plenty of upsides to working remotely, too. Remote workers cut down on commute times and report greater happiness. They also have lower turnover.
Get the tools you need (if you haven’t already), upgrade your network to compensate for everyone and their brother bogging down the internet. Use 5 or 6 GHz networks to better suit teleconferences, streaming videos, and transferring large files. Also, check with your ISP, some like AT&T has temporarily lifted cap limits on broadband service because of the pandemic. Collaborate with platforms such as Slack and TimeToReply to increase work teams’ cohesiveness and production.
Like it or not remote work is now the new norm. So whether you’re a veteran telecommuter or a seasoned techie, don’t forget to be courteous and patient with the influx of the uninitiated.
Check out more about the remote work boom here!