Three Benefits of Fully Remote Working Policies
Discover ways to build an effective culture based on transparency and a people-first mentality.
Quiet quitting and quiet firing have been the HR buzzwords lately, with employers and employees alike concerned about engagement from their workers and managers. Patrik Wilkens, vice president of operations at TheSoul Publishing, says that with quiet quitting in particular, it’s up to companies to ensure their workers are engaged and happy – so how can they do that?
The tech industry is attempting to reverse the remote working revolution in the workplace. If successful, their industry will not maintain three key benefits that remote working policies bring to companies and their employees.
Big Tech may long for the days of 9-to-5 office work, but the world has changed.
Workers who’ve experienced remote work are reluctant to go back. Numbers don’t lie. Eight out of 10 workers have said they are comfortable working remotely, occasionally or regularly, after their first experience with it.
Many organizations have gotten into conflict with their employees over reverting remote work policies, especially considering how hard it will be for these workers to return to their old ways.
Lack of coherent communication exacerbates these issues. Tech companies have publicly supported flexible work schedules in recent years but, on a whim, decided to implement return-to-work policies in place before the pandemic, which limits remote work.
Many workers are unhappy with the abrupt change. But an important question to ask is:
Are Remote Working Policies Always Beneficial?
There are two aspects we find important to emphasize:
- First, don’t consider it a “privilege” to work from the comfort of our homes.
- Second, work schedule flexibility is not just nice to have; it’s woven into a company’s very DNA and into a business model.
When it comes to getting things done, TheSoul Publishing is used to taking a nontraditional approach. The ability for employees to work remotely is nothing new for us; in fact, we were established as a remote-first business well before the pandemic hit.
However, there are tremendous advantages to implementing and maintaining a fully remote work policy.
3 Benefits to Sustaining Fully Remote Working Policies
Let’s look at the three key benefits of a clearly defined, fully remote working policy.
The ultimate way to build trust
Trust is tricky. It’s a two-way street. Employers and employees must trust each other. This is how the best work and workplace culture thrive.
Remote working is all about building trust in both directions.
To truly succeed with remote working, you need to harness its potential for new communication methods. That’s why our organization operates using asynchronous communication practices and an additional no-meetings policy. This means:
- Companies do not require our employees to be constantly glued to our company’s messaging apps and internal project management system.
- Don’t expect instant responses.
- Don’t expect our colleagues to be online during universally pre-scheduled “working hours.”
In this way, we demonstrate to our employees that we trust them to do their work – and to do it well – even if they are not at the office.
In reverse, employees trust us only to demand some remote workers move into offices. We’d betray our hard-working employees’ faith. It goes against everything we stand for as an organization.
Like all things, remote working policies are only beneficial when done properly. Keeping remote work messages consistent is key. Workers should be well-informed about remote work policies so they don’t base important personal decisions on them.
This is an area that many big technology firms still need to improve in.
For example, many Tesla employees relocated to new cities after being told they could work from anywhere in the country.
The company’s announcement of a mandatory return-to-work policy has put workers in the unenviable position of either relocating or resigning.
Say goodbye to quiet quitting
Workers who like what they do and feel appreciated are likelier to stick around. It is that simple.
Quiet quitting is a long-standing practice in which workers do the bare minimum for their jobs and leave when the clock strikes five.
It doesn’t make them “bad” or “lazy” employees. Every disengaged worker has a story, which could result from many things, from not feeling valued to being under-challenged by their current tasks.
Plus, when a company sends mixed signals about whether or not remote workers are welcome, workers may feel disrespected because they are losing some of their independence—even if their remote work output is at an all-time high.
That’s why businesses need to keep flexible work arrangements, like remote working, open to their employees. If they require additional evidence, they need only consider that most of today’s employees (74%) would be less likely to seek new employment if they had the option to work permanently from home.
Remote workers value flexibility beyond just where they clock in and out. To reduce “quiet quitting,” leaders must create a culture where workers feel safe voicing their opinions and are thanked for their contributions.
See More: Quiet Quitting: a Symptom, Not Diagnosis of Toxic Culture
Enable productivity to skyrocket
Working remotely with software like Zoom, Slack, and Asana boosts morale and productivity. For instance, these digital project management tools enable employees in different regions to collaborate more effectively. This is because they help companies adopt asynchronous communication methods that increase productivity and reduce workplace stress.
Two additional key ways this is achieved are:
Better balance between work and life
Workers who can work from home are more productive and less prone to burnout. With the rise of shared project management software boosting transparency on tasks and projects across entire organizations, workers can easily monitor deadlines and prioritize accordingly. Overall, those who can see the most pressing tasks tend to be more productive.
Why? Combining a focus on key tasks with the flexibility of working from home means employees can better manage their time between work and other commitments, such as:
- Getting the kids ready for school
- Fitting in a workout
- Being home when a package arrives.
Employees who are given the option to work when it is most convenient for them are better able to manage the competing demands of their professional and personal lives.
No more draining commute
Decreased commute times have positively affected workers’ mental and physical health. The effects are magnified because remote workers never have to deal with this – they can jump out of bed, log on to their company’s internal digital channels, and be caught up in seconds.
Workers are more productive when they are healthy and happy at work and home.
The productivity effect is significantly amplified through technology that facilitates asynchronous communication, namely project management software, as workers don’t have to be at the beck and call of email or impromptu in-person meetings to keep up.
Overall, by maintaining remote-work policies, you help your workers:
- Save money on unnecessary transport costs
- Reduce the stress of daily travel (no more rush hour or gridlock)
- Avoid the time-sink of back-and-forth commuting.
Remote Working Is Here To Stay
Big Tech used to set the pace for innovation – but that doesn’t mean it’s always right. The workplace has changed, and companies must recognize that remote working, even if only hybrid, will form a key part of the future.
It’s time to embrace that future and the benefits it brings.
Which strategies have you implemented to maintain a fully remote work policy? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Image Source: Shutterstock
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