Why working remotely is good for businesses and staff alike

A recent report by REGUS confirms that already 50% of workers globally work outside the main office 2.5 days a week or more. Other evidence validates that flexible working is increasingly becoming the norm. A report by Citrix suggests that by 2020 the proportion of businesses offering mobile working will reach 89% and a study conducted by Vodafone showed that 86% of multinationals consider mobile flexible working as a medium or high priority.

Here are the ten main drivers of change that are disrupting the traditional 9-to-5 grind in the workplace.

1. Remote workers are less stressed

People feel empowered to work in a way that suits them and suits the business. In a recent survey by FlexJobs 91% said it helps them take better care of themselves and 90% declare it would decrease their levels of stress.

2. Remote working provides choice

Choice is very important. There shouldn’t be a technologydriven compulsion to work in a certain way. Clearly, workers are turning to flexible working as a way of avoiding burn-out and preserving their physical and mental well-being.

3. Commuting is bad for you

Commuters have lower life satisfaction, a lower sense that their daily activities are worthwhile, lower levels of happiness and higher anxiety on average than non-commuters.

4. Remote venues are better than the office

“Flexible working isn’t just office or home — there may be somewhere near home with better facilities,” said Katerina Manou, General Manager of Regus for the Balkans and Cyprus.

5. Reduction of underused office space

One of the most tangible benefits for firms is the reduction of underused office space. Money saved on expensive leases and under-occupied space should be invested in growth initiatives.

6. Reduction of fixed overheads

Reducing expensive fixed office space leasing arrangements is one of the key take-away learning from the recession.

7. Flexible working creates agile organisations

Businesses are increasingly moving towards flexible working in order to create organisations that can respond to market changes by retracting or expanding rapidly.

8. Remote workers are well connected

The prevalence of smartphones and social media mean you don’t have to be next to someone to communicate effectively. And new business trends like remote administration, cloudbased project management, video conferencing, and BYOD are extending the effectiveness of remote work.

9. Remote workers are more engaged

When you’re tweeting with people in your team close to midnight, it brings home that people are experiencing something beyond ‘doing work’ — they’re engaged in a different way.

10. The new agile workplace creates new jobs

Flexible working is a key factor in keeping older workers in the economy and can help them extend their careers. In Cyprus, Regus operates in Nicosia, Limassol and soon in Larnaca.