Working from home is still considered a major benefit and opportunity, especially with the development of AI-driven online tools that make work more effective. Here are some statistics and ideas of how you can benefit from this option. So, what are some of the benefits of a home office? How can both employees and employers benefit?
Positive correlations
A few reports have shown that when workers are given the chance to work remotely, their company loyalty increases. Why?
It’s all about a company having trust in their employees and offering them flexibility. Letting employees work from home when they have a bit of a cough or a runny nose is healthier and more comfortable for everyone involved; no one wants to be the office sniffler or nose blower, or be the person who sits right next to them pretending not to see or hear anything (we’ve all been there, let’s be honest).
Parents with young children will also appreciate the greater flexibility that comes with working at home when their children can’t be away at school or if a babysitter for Junior can’t be found. When employees are given the chance to work remotely, they gain the sense that their boss or company trusts them to do their work away from the office, and that paired with greater job flexibility results in greater company loyalty.
Increase your productivity
A study conducted in 2023 by BMO Canada found that employees’ productivity increased by 65% when they were allowed to work from home rather than at the office. The same study cited that the quality of work produced by telecommuting workers increased by 58%.
Solitaire Bliss, a gaming company improved their employee engagement by 26% with remote work. And there are quite a few other example studies around which cite evidence that working from home helps to bring up worker’s productivity and well-being, which in turn helps a company work better and more efficiently. If a happy wife is to a happy life, then a happy employee equals a happy company, right?
Save money
When employees work from home, the office doesn’t need to supply all the snacks or pizza or food delivery it might receive, and workers can save some extra money on public or personal transport. A piece of research done by Global Workplace Analytics stated that companies can save an average of $11000 per half-time telecommuting employee in the office. This figure is based on savings that come from increased productivity, decreased real estate expenses, reduced employee absenteeism and turnover. Employees in the US save from $2500 to $4000 annually just by telecommuting half the time. Working from home pays off for everyone, pun intended.
Decrease your carbon footprint
We all have to do our part to slow the growth of climate change. Working from home can be one such option – it cuts the need for a (potentially) long commute, reduces the environmental cost of running an office which is filled with multiple computers, printers, fluorescent lights, etc. According to some sources, the energy consumption of office equipment can be up to twice that of what is consumed at home.
Most likely, you can get by working with just a laptop from home, and only being plugged in when you need to be. Research conducted in 2024 by Global Workplace Analytics found that if all workers who can and want to work from home did so just 50% of the time, the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions would be equivalent to the entirety of the workforce of New York State taking themselves off the road. On the other hand, if those telecommuting to work would suddenly begin driving to work instead, 91 million trees would have to be planted to offset those emissions.
Team management and communication
Nowadays there are many communication platforms which can be used for remote team management. Many companies already use platforms such as Slack. Slack has apps that help with just about anything, from buddy onboarding to standup meetings. These platforms are essential for easy communication between workers, facilitate teamwork while away from the office, and conduct webinars.
The key here is that all employees communicate as clearly as they can with each other and need to be precise with the information they’re asking for or giving, since a lot of context can get lost (and asking a desk neighbor for some info can’t really be done).
LiveWebinar is another tool that can be used for team communication – our company team has been using the LW platform as a virtual office, working together and staying in touch while everyone works from the comfort of their own homes. This way, keeping a sense of “we’re all in this together” becomes much easier, and communication becomes clearer as well.
Time is money
Many studies have been conducted concerning the impact of commuting on the overall health of workers, and the results are, well, unsurprising. A study done in the UK found that the average workers’ roundtrip commute takes an hour, and 55% of those surveyed said that their commute increases their stress levels. Studies done at the University School of Medicine in Saint Louis and the Cooper Institute in Dallas respectively found a positive correlation between the length of a commute and an increase in blood pressure, another study found that driving more than ten miles (some 16 km) a day correlates with raised cholesterol and blood sugar.
What’s saved in time is also made up by productivity at home, and a happier worker. Some studies have also shown that commuting makes people unhappy, and who can blame them? Choosing between sitting down at home or in a local coffee shop versus standing in a packed bus or train for an hour seems like a no brainer, don’t you think?
How AI can help with remotw work?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) can significantly enhance remote work by improving productivity, streamlining communication, and ensuring smooth collaboration. AI significantly enhances remote work by streamlining communication and collaboration. Tools like AI-powered chatbots and smart meeting assistants (e.g., Otter.ai or Fireflies.ai) automate tasks such as note-taking, reminders, and real-time language translation, making virtual meetings smoother and more inclusive. These technologies ensure that remote teams stay informed and engaged, regardless of location or language barriers.
For productivity and management, AI automates repetitive workflows and helps prioritize tasks with platforms like Zapier or Trello. Team management benefits from AI tools like ActivTrak, which provides performance insights, workload distribution data, and early signs of burnout via sentiment analysis. Managers also enjoy a more efficient hiring and onboarding process tailored by AI to save time and support new employees effectively.
AI also fosters a healthier work-life balance and ensures security in remote setups. It can create balanced schedules, promote wellness through personalized tools like Headspace, and safeguard remote environments with advanced cybersecurity systems like Darktrace. By leveraging AI, businesses can optimize remote work models to be more productive, collaborative, and secure.
It's all in the balance
One of the main complaints people who work in offices have is that striking a work-life balance can be very difficult to achieve and to maintain. When working from home, people generally work in set hours as they do in the office, and once their work time is up, they don’t need to waste time on an exhausting commute home.
Maintaining a good work-life balance is all in the name – keeping these two elements balanced is important for maintaining good mental health and positive wellbeing. When working from home people get the chance to spend their free time on their interests, hobbies and with their loved ones.
“Working from home can be just as efficient as working at the office”.