It’s several months into the world’s most extensive work-from-home experiment, and the results are starting to roll in. Though there’s still a lot to learn about remote work, two things have become clear. One, remote work can help keep a company going when in-person work is impossible. And, two, remote work can and generally does help employees get more work done.
While your results may vary, as an employer, you’ve likely decided to take a closer look at what remote work can and cannot do for your company. Though the pandemic forced many companies to go from no remote working to being entirely remote overnight, integrating remote work as a long-term strategy can (and should) be approached with more intention.
What We’ve Learned (So Far)
The switch to remote work is going very well. Productivity and efficiency didn’t sink as executives had feared. Many, in fact, were pleasantly surprised by just how productive and efficient their employees have been, given the circumstances.
Employees were also surprised at just how much work they could do remotely, as 55% say working remotely can succeed in their industry.
What’s more, because companies that could shift to remote work did, they were able to keep their businesses functioning, avoiding furloughs and layoffs in some cases. As it turns out, the number of jobs that can be done remotely is far more than companies imagined.
One study found that pre-pandemic, only about 15% of the overall workforce worked remotely. However, between February and May 2020, nearly one-third of U.S. workers shifted to remote work, resulting in almost half of all American workers working from home overall.
Though working at home right now is challenging, many employees are not only happy that they can work from home, they want to continue. More than half (54%) of employees who were thrust into remote work want to continue working from home for as long as possible.
This may be due, in part, to how well U.S. businesses are handling their COVID-19 responses. A survey of 841 employees found that 90% trusted their company as much or even more during the pandemic. Another 88% of respondents said they were just as or more satisfied with their company or job, and 80% also reported that their direct supervisor communicates well with them while they work remotely.
What Does This Mean for the Future of Work?
As the pandemic continues, so too does remote work. Well-known tech companies like Facebook, Twitter, and Shopify have decided to let staff stay remote for as long as they like or have made the move to become a full-time remote company. However, the shift to permanent remote work isn’t limited to tech companies.
For example, insurance giant Nationwide Insurance has decided to stay remote and is closing down offices. Walmart has also determined that many of their technology staff can continue working remotely even after the pandemic.
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And though these name brands may seem like outliers, that’s not the case. Throughout May 2020, LinkedIn saw a 42% increase in job seeker searches using terms like “remote” or “work from home,” and a 28% increase in job postings that featured the term “remote.”
Remote, Blended, or in the Office?
Given that remote work is working and most employees want it, how should your company proceed? Do you go all in on remote? Say “no way” because of your lease and bring everyone back in? Wait and see?
There are no easy answers. However, you should examine some key considerations when deciding how to chart the future of work for your company.
What’s the Risk?
The first thing you need to consider is the risk of bringing staff back to the office. Of course, state and local guidelines will dictate what you can and cannot do. But, assuming you are someplace where you can safely reopen, ask yourself what kinds of health risks you and your staff may be taking.
For example, one of the CDC recommendations is that companies change their ventilation systems to help reduce the spread of airborne viruses. However, if you rent your space, you may not have control over the ventilation. Is your landlord willing to do something? If not, what risk does that present to your staff?
What’s the Security Risk?
Beyond the physical risk to staff, consider how to keep your electronic information secure. When staff is in the office, it’s easy to make sure their gear is always up to date and running the latest security software. And because they can plug directly into the network, it’s easier to defend against security risks.
However, when employees work at home, you may not have any control over how staff logs in or how often they update their equipment. Shifting to remote work may require a more secure network, which could mean more work for your tech department.
You may also decide that to keep things safe, you need to provide staff with company-issued laptops that you can track and update remotely. Or, you may decide that all staff need to log in through a VPN to keep things safe and anonymous.
What’s the Expense?
Like it or not, the new normal of working in the office is going to require a fair amount of remodeling. That could include plexiglass dividers, company provided PPE, or thermometers for daily temperature checks. Even something like eliminating water fountains or the communal coffee pot could have financial impacts on your company.
Along those same lines, if you choose to go remote, how much will it cost you to provide staff with the necessary supplies to work productively? Will you pay for desks and chairs? What about lighting? Or internet access? What about people who don’t have a home office? Will you pay for coworking spaces (when that’s an option again) or help them move to a larger place?
What’s the Law?
When a company has a physical location, it needs to follow local tax and employment laws. And, when a business has a physical presence in several locations, they need to follow the local laws in each. However, each office likely has enough staff to make following said laws economical. And, you hopefully have at least one staff member who can navigate multiple tax laws.
With a remote company, though, things are different. Legally, you should follow local tax and employment laws—even when there’s only one employee in the locality. Will it be economically feasible for you to do this? Can you follow the rules no matter where your staff is?
Is It Fair?
Your company may have some positions that have to be in the office no matter what. Make sure that you are communicating clearly and effectively why some positions can remain remote, and others cannot. When possible, provide equal perks to the in-office staff (like a transit benefit).
What’s the Policy?
If you’re going to stay remote or partly-remote, make sure you put a remote work policy in place. It doesn’t have to replace your current policy manual, just complement it. For example, when you’re working in the office, you likely don’t allow alcoholic beverages. Even if you do have beer on tap, you probably don’t allow staff to drink during work hours, and there are consequences if someone does.
Working at home, people may think that it’s OK to knock back a few beers throughout the day. However, if your policy in the office is no beer allowed, you should have the same policy for remote workers.
How Do You Create Balance?
Workplace creep—when work and personal start to blend together—can happen when you work at home. In fact, some employees have reported this exact problem while working at home during the pandemic.
Should you remain remote, make sure you help staff draw clear boundaries between work and home. Let them schedule “on” and “off” hours and don’t encourage them to respond to messages all day every day.
What About Those Who Want to Go Back?
There will always be workers who prefer the communal nature of the office. If your company decides to go fully remote, will you lose these employees? Not everyone is cut out for remote work, even those that want to do it. Have a plan for how you’ll move forward.
If you choose not to go fully remote, and instead opt for a blended work model or even return fully to the office, let staff know that it will take time to get everyone back to work. You might decide that staggered start times may work best (with some staff starting at 7 a.m., some at 8 a.m., and some at 9 a.m.). Or, you may bring some groups back in first, then wait two weeks to make sure everything is safe.
Think Long Term
The road ahead is hazy at best. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t make plans for the future. Examining all the variables now can help plot the next stage of your company’s post-pandemic success. Even if you’ve decided in-office is the best choice, keeping remote work as an emergency preparedness plan can keep your company going no matter what comes next.
If, however, you’re considering implementing virtual work permanently, download our guide to help you achieve remote work success. Co-authored by FlexJobs CEO Sara Sutton, it covers the eight primary business considerations you need to examine to successfully integrate remote work into your company.
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