<\/span><\/h2>\nI have worked from home for years, and I manage a team of people who all also work from home.<\/p>\n
Aside from (hopefully) keeping you safe from a viral infection, working from home has many benefits<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n- No wasted commute time.\u00a0 Some of us were spending up to an hour or more on the road in each direction – easily an hour to two or more hours per day – just driving.<\/li>\n
- Better work-life balance.\u00a0 Being at home, it’s easy to step away for a few minutes to deal with a personal matter, and likewise, it’s easy to step away from your personal life for a few minutes in order to deal with a work matter.\u00a0 Starting work early or working late becomes less of an issue.<\/li>\n
- Reduced expenses.\u00a0 When you work from home, you potentially save money on:\n
\n- Gas, vehicle maintenance, and other transportation costs<\/li>\n
- Dry cleaning and other clothing costs<\/li>\n
- Lunch \/ Coffee – That venti mocha latte and eating out for lunch every day can add up quickly<\/li>\n
- Child \/ dependent care costs (depending on your situation)<\/li>\n
- Deduct \/ expense home-office space – Any work-related costs that you can’t expense through your employer can be deducted on your taxes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- If you smoke, you know that smoking in public is now demonized, and many office facilities don’t even provide a designated smoking area – you have to smoke in your car or leave the premises.\u00a0 If you work from home, you can take a smoke break whenever and wherever you please, without having to worry about the smoke police, nor the disapproving glares of others.<\/li>\n
- Less social interaction.\u00a0 I mean this in the best possible way, but when I did work in an office, it was not unusual to lose over an hour per day because people like to drop in and say “hi”.\u00a0 It’s nice to visit with people, but when you’re busy, it can be distracting.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Employer benefits:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Generally, remote workers are more available outside of normal working hours.\u00a0 Stepping in to your home office for a quick conference call is a lot different than having to drive 30 minutes in to the office.<\/li>\n
- Every office worker requires 10 to 15 square feet of office space in order to do their job, plus the cost of fixtures and furnishings.\u00a0 Every remote worker results in a direct facility cost savings (either your company can facilitate more employees, or write off the empty space)<\/li>\n
- Less demand for conference rooms, break rooms, restrooms, and other communal areas.<\/li>\n
- Lower expenses for coffee, soft drinks, and other amenities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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