🪖Steven Weston🪖’s Post

Are remote work jobs becoming less prevalent, or is the structure of work arrangements just changing? And what does that mean for employer-employee tensions? Let's dive in. 🏢 A recent blog post by Ringover argues that remote jobs are becoming increasingly scarce with the number of in-office days at America's largest companies rising from an average of 1.1 days per week in 2021 to 3.4 days in 2023. Ringover argues that the U.S. is "lagging behind its major peers" with only 11.5% of roles as fully remote. Ringover's efforts to publicly share and analyze their data is laudable, we need to ask at least two major questions: 1) What is the optimal amount of remote work? Surely it depends on the composition of jobs - not to mention culture. We cannot compare U.S. with Germany for a variety of reasons; the countries are so different! 2) What is the right balance between in-person and office activity? As far as I can tell, the survey data does not track the same job over time - it's looking at different ones and hence we don't know if a job that was remote has become hybrid versus a new job that's posted as hybrid all together. 💸 The report argues that there is a disconnect between employee preferences and corporate policies. Roughly two-thirds of respondents would consider a pay cut to preserve their remote work lifestyle, highlighting the value workers place on flexibility. 💡 BUT: While these "compensating differentials" - as labor economists refer to them - definitely exist for remote work jobs, much of the variation between employee engagement and remote work is actually driven by other spurious correlates, namely whether the employee likes their workplace! The empirical evidence behind this claim is in my paper linked in comments. In this sense, return to office mandates are ineffective not because working from the office is bad, but because the companies that have had such a hard time attracting employees back probably also didn't have a strong enough workplace culture to begin with, so employees were glad to spend less time in the office. A mandate, therefore, is the last thing an employee wants! 🤷♂️ ✨ As Nick Bloom, Jose Maria Barrero, and Steve Davis have shown, WFH rates are converging to a new steady state, but organizations will still need to work out HOW they do hybrid work. Furthermore, as the debate between remote work preferences and RTO policies intensifies, it's clear that finding a middle ground will be crucial in defining the future of work. Time will tell how organizations will navigate the balance! #WorkFromHome #EmployeeSatisfaction #FutureOfWork #RemoteWork #ReturnToOffice https://lnkd.in/ejBX9eT7

Remote working – time to balance the value of work in society.   Many emerging surveys and studies indicate that the overall benefits of remote working are beginning to be understood by both employers and workers alike. Even when a bonus is offered to return to the office, people say that this is less than their savings in commuting costs and, increasingly, the associated stress of overcrowded public transport and roads.   As hybrid and wfh moves forward apace, it left me wondering about the next phase of supporting the workforce.   For example, many of the people who cannot work remotely because of the nature of their work are often lower paid roles such as healthcare, factory work, hotels, restaurants, garbage collection, sewer maintenance, etc.   As organisations can reduce their real-estate costs, subsidised canteens, company cars (don’t need them wfh) and more, is it time to move into the New Era of Work with a New Era Mindset, particularly in the case of those whose work cannot be done remotely?   Can we re-set society’s values when it comes to remuneration and work conditions?   The current irony is that the majority of people who undertake work that cannot be done remotely are often those whose role attracts the lowest pay and conditions of employment. It is now an opportunity to move forward and change this.   As society ages it requires more carers and health workers (community and hospitals). As the climate changes the garbage collection and disposal needs to be improved. The sewers still require maintenance, houses need to be built, and so on. Yet these people tend to earn less than those working remotely with, apparently, less stress and a healthier lifestyle.   It is now time to re-visit the value of work as the apparent increased production of work by remote workers, together with reduced operating costs for companies will go straight into the coffers of the owners and shareholders instead of meeting the needs and working conditions of the lower paid.   The alternative is a new class system of remote and non-remote work and associated health and lifestyles if current studies about the benefits of remote work reflect reality. What do you think? __________________________________________________________________   If this sort of discussion about people, work, and organisations interests you, my colleagues and I aim to introduce a new subscription community in May 2024. The community called NEMO (New Era Management & Organisations) will encourage a mix of live discussion, research, development and more without the distraction of Facebook and TikTok type posts from people who do not share our passion for progress in work and society.   Sunday’s publication (28 January 2024) of our free newsletter will discuss, “Sitting on your laurels never has a happy ending. - Business lessons from Germany”. Have a read and let us know if this type of discussion is what you are looking for. https://lnkd.in/eGMuXdhm

Remote Work: Ultimate Freedom or Productivity Pitfall?  12 Stats and 20 Brutal Pitfalls to take into account before calling remote work the holy grail... Hold onto your seats, folks! Here are 12 stunning stats on remote work 1. Home Sweet Home: Work from home jumped from a measly 4.7% in January 2019 to a whopping 71% by May 2023. That's like trading a bicycle for a rocket ship! 2. Cha-Ching! The remote work services market is set to explode from $20.1 billion in 2022 to a mind-blowing $58.5 billion by 2027, growing at a whopping 23.8% annually. Can you say "ka-ching"? 3. The Great Divide: Around 19% of companies have gone full-on remote, while 34% are still stuck in the Stone Age with no remote work allowed. Talk about polar opposites! 4. Hybrid Heaven: A massive 83% of the global workforce thinks hybrid work is the bee's knees. They're not wrong! 5. Riding the Wave: Since 2021, remote work fans increased by 24%, and hybrid work enthusiasts rose by 16%. It's a movement, people! 6. Job Perks: 59% of workers would ditch their current gig for an employer that offers remote work options. Flexibility is the new black. 7. Time Savers: Remote workers save an average of 72 minutes a day on commuting. That's 6 hours a week—time to binge-watch your favorite show! 8. Bosses Save Big: The average U.S. employer saves $11,315 a year for each part-time remote employee. Now that's a reason to celebrate! 9. Flexibility Over Cash: Half of the professionals (52%) would take a 5% pay cut for the freedom to work from anywhere, and 23% would take a cut of over 10%. Freedom > Money! 10. Burning the Midnight Oil: 55% of remote workers put in more hours at home than in the office. Who knew PJs could be so productive? 11. Office Equipment? What's That?: Only 20-25% of companies cover the cost of home office gear. Looks like the rest are leaving you to fend for yourself. 12. Green Warriors: Remote work can slash 54 million tons of carbon emissions each year. Mother Earth approves! Make sure to check the infographic on the 20 Brutal Realities of Remote Work Give me your numbers in the 💬 comments Repost ♻ to show some love and insights to your network Save 📥 for later Follow our page on LinkedIn IntelliKnow Visit Our Website: https://lnkd.in/exzj6Twa #intelliknow #RemoteWorkRevolution #WorkFromHomeTrends #HybridWorkforce #FlexibleWorkOptions #RemoteWorkPerks #ProductivityGains #WorkLifeBalance #RemoteWorkCulture #GreenRemoteWork #CostSavingsBenefits #FutureOfWork #RemoteWorkStats #WorkFromAnywhere #RemoteJobMarket #EmployeeEngagement #RemoteWorkSuccess #DigitalNomadLifestyle #RemoteWorkChallenges #RemoteWorkEconomy #VirtualOfficeSolutions

The Global Impact of Remote Work: A New Way for Businesses and Workers Remote work has changed how we work all around the world. What began during the pandemic has now become a regular part of many jobs. This shift affects businesses and workers everywhere, changing how we think about work, productivity, and daily life. More Flexibility Remote work lets people plan their workdays around their personal lives. Workers can choose when and where they work, helping them balance work and personal time. This is especially helpful for parents, caregivers, and students. Hiring from Anywhere Businesses can now hire the best people from anywhere in the world, not just from their local area. This means companies can find more diverse and skilled workers. Saving Money Remote work can save companies a lot of money. They don't need to pay for large office spaces, utilities, or office supplies. These savings can be used for other important things like employee training and new technology. Increased Productivity Many workers find they can focus better without the distractions of a busy office. Also, working from home means no long commutes, giving employees more time and energy for their tasks. Better Technology Remote work has led to better technology for communication and working together. Tools like video calls and online chat have improved to help people work together from different places. New Work Culture and Communication Without face-to-face interactions, companies need new ways to keep a strong work culture and good communication. This includes regular meetings and using digital tools to help teams work together. Impact on Cities With fewer people commuting, cities are changing. Less demand for office space and public transportation affects local businesses that rely on office workers, like restaurants and shops. Helping the Environment Remote work is good for the environment. Fewer people commuting means less traffic and pollution, leading to cleaner air. New Challenges for Managers Managing remote teams is different. Leaders need new skills to make sure everyone stays productive and feels part of the team. This includes clear expectations, regular feedback, and creating a sense of community. Keeping Work and Personal Life Separate Remote work can make it hard to separate work from personal life. Employees might find it difficult to stop working, which can lead to burnout. Employers need to promote healthy work habits and support employee well-being. Conclusion Remote work has a big impact on the global business landscape. It’s clear that remote work is here to stay. By embracing the benefits and solving the challenges, businesses can create a more flexible, productive, and inclusive work environment for everyone. #RemoteWork #WorkFromHome #DigitalTransformation #FutureOfWork #VirtualTeams #Leadership #FlexibleWork #RemoteJobs #GlobalWorkforce #BusinessTransformation #RemoteWorking #Telecommuting #HybridWork #WorkAnywhere

As someone who works a hybrid schedule that is in large part remote, it might seem hypocritical that I always push back on remote work demands. The truth is, I don’t care about working remotely, and you probably don’t either. Here’s why: Human beings are innately social creatures, with an inherent yearning for community and connection. Remember how much most of us loved school? Wanted to live in dorms? Live and work alongside our peers? I think that most people would love to come into an office. Work, socialize, connect. However, our demand for remote work doesn’t truly stem from a desire for in-home isolation. It is a cry to reclaim our precious hours surrendered to a system that demands our labor through all waking daylight, merely to afford a space where we dwell only briefly to sleep. What we want isn’t distance, but flexibility - the freedom to excel in our professional roles while also enjoying life beyond the confines of the workplace. When our tasks are complete, we might want to depart early to sunbathe or play with our children. We might want to take our spouse away on spur-of-the-moment adventures. The true plight is not a rejection of office work itself, but a rebellion against the tyranny of trading the bulk of our waking hours for mere survival. Remote work, then, is not the solution, but a temporary “Band-aid” – an attempt to escape the demands of employers who seek to possess our every moment, heedless of our well-being. Even when we are at home, the anxiety of "unproductivity" looms, rendering us forever tethered to our emails. What we should be advocating for isn’t a change of scenery, but a rebalancing of the scales – a reduction in mandatory work hours. When we engage professionals, we compensate them for each moment dedicated to our needs, be it travel, labor, research, or even contemplation. Yet employers remain exempt from this equitable doctrine. We should demand a finite allocation of our weeks. 35-40 hours. If remote, those hours are theirs unimpeded. If on-site, the time wasted commuting, in meetings, will be counted towards those 35-40 hours. 10 of those hours commuting, 15 in meetings & internal discussions, and 10-15 hours of work produced. What do we care? It is the employer’s company. It’s entirely the employer’s decisions. But we should demand that their preferences fit within the time we are being compensated for. Your boss wouldn’t spend an hour or two a day on a client matter without charging, right? So why should we? #remotework #workfromhome

I feel so fortunate to be a remote worker on a mostly in-person team. But, this article is maddening. While this article claims that remote employees are more productive and less likely to turnover than their office-tied counterparts, the crux of this article is that managers can't accurately assess their remote direct reports if they can't drop in on them physically. That's ludicrous. Remote employees are an asset. Full stop. Remote employees allow companies to find the strongest talent, no matter their location. And companies that employ remote workers demonstrate that they respect their employees. Kendra and I started an employee resource group for remote workers, and we provided instruction about ways to transition to remote work at the height of the pandemic. While neither of us would claim to be an expert, I think we can both say that it is the manager's responsibility to learn how to trust their employees. And that's just the simple truth. Would you as a manager expect a meeting with your reports in an office setting when you don't know if your report is engaged in other activities? No, of course not. Would you expect that your office-bound employee answers emails late at night or on weekends? Sure, maybe if they were dealing with a "fire-drill", but otherwise, no. And it must be said that there is some responsibility on the remote worker as well. A #remote employee should check in with their in-office counterparts. They should turn their camera on and participate in team calls. It is the remote worker's job to stay involved in the day to day of the office, and collaborate internally as best as they can. Their talents will shine in due time. So, to anyone I've ever huddled/called without a heads up, I apologize. I know better. I know that I should ask if/when someone is available to talk. And reading articles like this only reinforces my desire to be a good and respectful remote worker. At the end of the day, remote employees are adults--- super productive adults. A good employee will shine whether they are in person or remote. Respect and trust in one another is the binding thread to a successful in person/remote relationship and the companies that have mastered this dynamic are the ones that will thrive and retain their employees' loyalty. What do you think?

📢 Exciting developments in the remote work landscape! 🌍 A recent article from Forbes Advisor sheds light on the statistics and trends surrounding remote work in 2024. Let's dive into the key takeaways! 🔍 🖥️ **Remote Work Adoption**: The rise of remote work is undeniable, with an impressive one in five workers currently embracing this flexible lifestyle. Projections indicate that by 2025, a whopping 32.6 million Americans will be working remotely, constituting about 22% of the workforce. This shift is transforming how businesses operate and how employees live their lives. 🙌 **Employee Preferences**: It seems that most workers have found a taste for remote work, as an astounding 98% express a desire to work remotely at least part of the time. This growing affinity towards flexibility and independence hints at a paradigm shift in our understanding of work-life balance. 🏢 **Company Operations**: In an intriguing finding, the article reveals that around 16% of companies have successfully transitioned to fully remote operations, eschewing the need for physical offices. This demonstrates the feasibility of such models and challenges traditional notions of office spaces. ⚖️ **Productivity and Security**: The impact of remote work on productivity remains a point of contention. While some studies suggest that remote workers are more productive, others highlight a potential 10%-20% reduction in productivity. Furthermore, the article reveals that 37% of remote employees have their online activity closely monitored by their employers, and a staggering 73% of executives believe that remote workers pose a significant security risk. Balancing productivity and security in the remote work landscape will be a critical challenge moving forward. 💼 **Industry and Occupation**: Unsurprisingly, the computer and IT sector dominates as the top industry for remote work. However, it's worth noting that certain job roles are better suited for remote work than others. Understanding these nuances is crucial as businesses continue to navigate the remote work landscape. These illuminating statistics and trends shape the future of work as we know it. The implications for our industry are vast, with companies needing to adapt to shifting employee preferences, finding innovative ways to enhance productivity and security, and exploring the feasibility of remote operations. 🚀 What are your thoughts on the rise of remote work and its impact on our industry? Join the conversation and share your insights in the comments below! Let's shape the future together! 👥💬 To learn more about our company's approach to remote work, visit our website: https://homeoffice.company 🌐 #RemoteWork #WorkLifeBalance #Productivity #Security #IndustryTrends #FutureOfWork

Remote Work Doesn't Seem To Affect Productivity, Fed Study Finds: An anonymous reader quotes a report released Tuesday (Jan. 16th) by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco: The U.S. labor market experienced a massive increase in remote and hybrid work during the COVID-19 pandemic. At its peak, more than 60% of paid workdays were done remotely -- compared with only 5% before the pandemic. As of December 2023, about 30% of paid workdays are still done remotely (Barrero, Bloom, and Davis 2021). Some reports have suggested that teleworking might either boost or harm overall productivity in the economy. And certainly, overall productivity statistics have been volatile. In 2020, U.S. productivity growth surged. This led to optimistic views in the media about the gains from forced digital innovation and the productivity benefits of remote work. However, the surge ended, and productivity growth has retreated to roughly its pre-pandemic trend. Fernald and Li (2022) find from aggregate data that this pattern was largely explained by a predictable cyclical effect from the economy's downturn and recovery. In aggregate data, it thus appears difficult to see a large cumulative effect -- either positive or negative -- from the pandemic so far. But it is possible that aggregate data obscure the effects of teleworking. For example, factors beyond telework could have affected the overall pace of productivity growth. Surveys of businesses have found mixed effects from the pandemic, with many businesses reporting substantial productivity disruptions. In this Economic Letter, we ask whether we can detect the effects of remote work in the productivity performance of different industries. There are large differences across sectors in how easy it is to work off-site. Thus, if remote work boosts productivity in a substantial way, then it should improve productivity performance, especially in those industries where teleworking is easy to arrange and widely adopted, such as professional services, compared with those where tasks need to be performed in person, such as restaurants. After controlling for pre-pandemic trends in industry productivity growth rates, we find little statistical relationship between telework and pandemic productivity performance. We conclude that the shift to remote work, on its own, is unlikely to be a major factor explaining differences across sectors in productivity performance. By extension, despite the important social and cultural effects of increased telework, the shift is unlikely to be a major factor explaining changes in aggregate productivity. [...] The shift to remote and hybrid work has reshaped society in important ways, and these effects are likely to continue to evolve. For example, with less time spent commuting, some people have moved out of cities, and the lines between work and home life have blurred. Despite these noteworthy effects, in this Letter we find little evidence in industry data that the shift to remote and hybri

🚀 The Future is Remote: Unveiling the Latest Trends in Remote Work As we navigate through 2024, the landscape of remote work continues to evolve, reshaping how we think about and engage with our workplaces. According to a comprehensive analysis by Krisp.ai, remote work is not just a temporary shift but a transformative trend that's here to stay. 📈 Key Statistics from Krisp.ai's Study: Growth Trajectory - Remote work has seen a staggering growth of 140% since 2005. This trend is not limited to freelancers; it spans across various sectors and job roles. Productivity and Efficiency - Contrary to popular belief, remote workers are proving to be more productive. Studies have shown that remote employees are 13% more productive compared to their in-office counterparts. Environmental Impact - Embracing remote work doesn't just benefit companies and employees; it also contributes to environmental sustainability. The reduction in daily commutes can significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions. Employee Preference - An overwhelming majority of remote workers express a desire to continue working remotely, even post-pandemic. This preference underscores the importance of flexibility and work-life balance. 🤔 What This Means for Businesses: These trends highlight a crucial shift in the workforce. Companies that adapt to these changes by offering flexible remote work options are more likely to attract and retain top talent, see a boost in productivity, and contribute positively to environmental sustainability. At VirtuAlliance, we understand the importance of staying ahead of the curve. Our remote staffing solutions are designed to not only reduce your costs but also to align with these global trends, ensuring your business is future-ready. 💬 Let's Discuss: How is your business adapting to these remote work trends? Share your insights and strategies in the comments below! 🔗 Read more about these trends and statistics here: https://lnkd.in/eU2YJby #futureofwork #RemoteWorkTrends #businessadaptation #VirtuAlliance