I've seen a lot of talk on how remote workers are not as productive and efficient as in-person workers. There's a good argument to be made for keeping workers directly accountable for their work and not allowing them to get away with long breaks, extended lunch hours, quitting the day early, and so on.
But there are contrasting views, like this article from
HR Grapevine:
Remote work linked to lower stress & higher output, study finds.
I couldn't find a link to the actual study being discussed, so take the results with a grain of salt. Nonetheless, the findings are valid and point to benefits that I think many would agree with:
- No commute means workers are fresh and ready to focus, saving up to 3 hours per day
- Workers are healthier, eating more home-cooked meals and less reliant on processed foods
- More autonomy over tasks and schedules means increased productivity
The last point might be debatable because often autonomy leads to some of the problems I mentioned at the top.
The study was conducted in a specific part of the world, so there are some cultural and geographic factors that may play a large role in the results. Regardless, I think those are three solid benefits that could be found in long-term remote work.
Now on to this week's productivity links!
