I don’t like going to work! Oh, I absolutely hate traveling in crammed metros! I find office gossips awful! And the list goes on. Haven’t you heard these words from corporate employees? Yes, these are the most common feelings that many employees express. But since the emergence of the new corporate culture, these issues have faded away. What is it? It’s Work from home (WFH). The new trend in the corporate world. The work from home benefits are numerous both to the employers and employees. Also, it was the most longed desire among the corporate workers.
Initially, when the IT sector was booming, the IT employees had the benefit of working from home. But this benefit was limited only to IT professionals. And no other employees were allowed to work from home. But due to the pandemic, almost all the corporate sectors moved to the work from home trend. It was a paradigm shift in the conventional functioning of the corporates. Some people are in favor of this trend while some are not. But if you look at the bright side, work from home benefits are mind-boggling.
It is Cost-effective
Have you ever imagined the amount of money spent on energy bills in corporate organizations? Also, the costs incurred on stationary, chairs, tables, laptops/ PCs, printing machines, etc. are exorbitant. Moreover, the maintenance costs are incessant. And these costs lead to an increase in liabilities.
One of the best work from home benefits is that these unavoidable expenses are cut out substantially. The inventory costs come down and the burden of paying monthly bills is reduced considerably.
Decrease in Commuting Expenses
The WFH trend brought a major setback to many service providers. The cab aggregators, local transport services, and gas station owners were the ones who suffered the most. But it proved favorable to the office owners and corporate workers. A majority of the employees hate commuting to work because it is time-consuming. Furthermore, you don’t get time to run errands or to practice a hobby.
Additionally, employers have to pay conveyance allowance to their employees. But when working from home this cost isn’t incurred. It is a win-win situation for both employers and employees. The only expense that an employer bears are the electricity bills of its employees. Sometimes only half of the bill amount.
Increase in Employees’ Productivity
Nothing is better than the comfort of your home. So, when you get to work from your comfort zone, then how your productivity will be? Obviously, you will be in high spirits to work diligently.
You get to wear pajamas and t-shirts, sip-in coffee and have snacks at your will. There are no restrictions and you don’t have to share snacks with anybody. Whereas, in the office, you are surrounded by people once you open a pack of chips. Also, some organizations restrict employees from eating at their cubicles. Only community eating is allowed and no frequent snack-breaks.
I don’t hold any assumptions that frequent bio-breaks or meal breaks increase productivity. But yes, when you have no one to monitor your activities, you work without any stress. It is indeed one of the best work from home benefits. Stress is the main cause of a decrease in productivity. But when you are not under any stress, your productivity boosts.
No Distraction from Office Chaos
If you study the corporate statistics, around 60% to 75% of the corporate offices have a hostile environment. There is constant nagging from the superiors. Also, the employees suffer unwanted comparisons. Most of the activities conducted on the floor are demotivating and demoralizing.
But work from home benefits includes not having colleagues around and superiors to judge you. It won’t lead to any distraction. A majority of the time the negative environment at work affects your performance. Also, there is no appreciation from the seniors. And never-ending office gossips make you lose focus at work.
It Establishes Effective Communication
Maybe some people may not accept this. But I certainly believe work from home boosts the communication process. The approach to communication is far more subtle and time-bound. Conference calls or video calls on Zoom or Skype are the most effective tools of communication when working from home.
Also, the meetings conducted online are centralized; so, the chances of miscommunication are eradicated. Unlike, face-to-face meetings, where people engage only in debates and do not allow others to be heard.
Reduction in Employee Grievances
A lot many corporate houses lack appropriate grievance redressal forums. So, ideally, they won’t worry about the employee grievances. But the ones who have established a grievance handling department will experience a drop in employee problems.
Issues in corporate offices arise when the teams work together. But when working from home, every employee takes responsibility for his tasks. The team plays a small role in his assigned work. So, the percentage of employee grievances may reduce to a large extent. Also, the other work from home benefit includes a reduction in harassment cases and foul play.
Drop in Absenteeism
No nagging, no stress, and the comfort of your home, these aspects make WFH a good deal. Absenteeism occurs mainly because of two reasons. One when the workload is too much. And the other when people are not happy with their jobs. But when you are allowed to work from home, you prefer not to take a leave.
Of course, people do take leaves when they have genuine reasons. But if you talk about the ones who aren’t happy at work, they will often come up with an excuse to remain absent at work. Work from home benefits also include the desire to work more in peace sans negative people.
Plummet in the Attrition Rate
When employees do not enjoy job satisfaction, they either take frequent leaves or quit. But employees quitting the job increases the attrition rate. Which indirectly leads to a rise in recruitment expenses.
A survey conducted in the US confirms that about 68% to 88% of the employees enjoy working from home. They feel they are successful and they also enjoy practicing their hobbies. Hence, to bring your attrition rate in control, you must work on employees’ happiness. Deploying WFH arrangement being one of them.
You can Control the Recruitment Expenses
Once the attrition rate drops, you need not hire new employees. The recruitment expenses rise when you have to rehire new prospects for the same vacancy. Many corporate organizations partner with HR Business agencies or consultancies for their recruitment needs.
These HR business partners are not reliable sources. Many of them teach the prospects to join a firm and quit in few months. It’s because the agencies bill the corporate institutions on each hire. But work from home allows every organization to curb their recruitment expenses. When employees won’t quit, why will there be a need to hire a new employee? Get it?
Liberty to Work as per Convenience
Another best part about work from home? You can work as per your schedule. Not many organizations give this liberty to their employees. But yes, those who get this freedom, enjoy working.
Employees get to work at their convenience. And they work without any stress. The tasks assigned are supposed to be submitted before the deadline. That’s the only condition. So, when you have this freedom, then why won’t you work dedicatedly? Hence, every organization must adopt this new work culture. It will speed up the progress and cut back the expenses.
No Expenditure on Festive Activities
In UK, USA, or other western countries, festive seasons are few. But in India, there are innumerable festive seasons. So, every organization has to incur a huge cost in buying souvenirs for its employees.
Some medium sector corporates do not engage in any such activities. But they do have to come up with other options. Gifts and presents keep the team spirits high. Some corporates also organize cultural functions and annual parties. But when you allow your employees to work from home, you can minimize these additional expenses.
Happy Employees = Loyal Employees
Loyalty comes when the employees love their job. Also, the role of superiors and colleagues forms a vital part of job satisfaction. Stability in one job profile will lead to loyalty. In fact, some employees serve an organization for a major part of their careers. It means they have been stable and loyal towards the organization.
Every corporate house must value its employees’ inputs. The organization can offer a friendly work environment along with the best pay package. And in return, the employees will show loyalty. The arrangement of work from home must be put to use to push employees’ job satisfaction. It will help in boosting employees’ morale. And they will remain loyal for a longer duration.
Conclusion: Many corporate employees have been yearning for the WFH facility. Post-pandemic many corporate houses have resumed working from offices. But if they wish to cut down their expenses, they must switch to the WFH arrangement. There may be some loopholes. But they can be fixed in the coming years. Work from home arrangement has worked wonders during the pandemic. And with additional efforts, every organization can successfully establish this pattern of working on a permanent basis.
