Technology has made flexible work arrangements more and more feasible – you no longer need to go to the office to have access to computers and the Internet to get your work done. This sort of flexibility means you can work from home while attending to your family’s needs, travel while still holding a full-time job, or simply stay in your pyjamas all day and work from a quiet environment with few distractions. 

However, do flexible work arrangements have positive or negative impacts on your actual work and your life? Only cold, hard statistics can accurately determine this. So, let’s take a look at the fact-based statistics surrounding flexible work to better understand just how it improves working culture and benefits employees.

1. You can have a better work-life balance – 84% of parents see flexible work as their top priority when job seeking.

Remote working can help tremendously with your work-life balance. Many people have commitments during working hours, such as picking their kids up from school, attending doctor’s appointments, etc. Remote management means that these people can address all their extra commitments without compromising on their work, and structure their life better so they can work with maximum focus and efficiency. It also gives many parents a chance to return to their career after having kids without shirking their familial responsibilities.

2. It helps reduce stress – 86% of people feel that working remotely would reduce their stress.

Stress is often portrayed as an unavoidable part of life, especially for those who live in big cities. However, there are things you can do to mitigate the amount of stress you feel and working remotely is one of the big ones. Many people feel that working away from the office would reduce their stress as they would no longer have to suffer through peak-hour commutes or engage in office politics. Instead, they can also choose the perfect environment for them to be calm and focused while they work and engage in remote collaboration when it is necessary for them to talk to their team members.

3. It improves job satisfaction – 73% of people feel that flexible working spaces would increase their job satisfaction.

The flexibility afforded by remote working can have an increasingly positive impact on job satisfaction. Likely due to having a better work-life balance and reduced stress levels, employees who are offered flexible working arrangements are overall much happier for it! A significant proportion of working individuals also feel like their job satisfaction would increase if they were given the chance to work remotely as part of a distributed team, as they would be able to better manage their time and choose the ideal environment to work from.

4. It improves productivity by breaking the mundane routine – 78% of people feel they are more productive when working remotely.

No longer will you have to suffer through a long, busy commute to enter the same boring office you see every day. With flexible working arrangements, you can work from the comfort of your home, the exciting environment of a café, the peace and quiet of a library, or even enjoy the unique experience of a coworking space! You can choose the ideal environment for you and even switch it up every few days. By breaking the mundane routine that you experience every day, you’ll be able to get your creative juices flowing and thereby improve your productivity by coming up with innovative solutions to problems. Plus, when you set your own schedule, you’ll gain a feeling of empowerment that will motivate you to perform better at your job.

5. You can make more money – On average, flexible workers make up to US$4,000 more annually as compared to other workers.

In part, this increase in salaries can be attributed to the fact that you typically have to earn your right to work remotely and therefore, more skilled and highly paid employees are more likely to be offered flexible work arrangements. However, this trend is soon to be replaced as many millennials look for jobs that allow them to work remotely. Regardless, you’ll also be saving on plenty of other costs such as commuting, lunches at restaurants, coffee, childcare, etc. On average, remote workers save up to US$2,000 per month in this manner. Flexible work arrangements will also allow you to study while you work, whether to complete your degree or a short course to get certified in something specific. This will help you build your skillset and value as an employee without infringing on your work-related responsibilities.

6. It’s better for your physical and mental health – 89% of employees believe a flexible work arrangement would help them better care for themselves.

Flexible work arrangements allow you to schedule your time in a manner you deem appropriate. This means that you can easily fit in important commitments such as doctor’s appointments, as well as schedule time to exercise. Working from home also means that you will be less likely to eat unhealthy fast food for lunch and instead cook healthy meals for yourself. Remote workers also tend to use fewer of their sick days, as they can simply work from home and won’t feel the need to call in sick when they aren’t feeling up to the commute.

In conclusion, flexible work arrangements can have great positive impacts on your job performance and satisfaction. It can also improve your health and help you save some money. So, if you’re interested in implementing flexible work arrangements at your business, contact us at Flydesk and we’ll help you do it right so you can enjoy all these benefits too!