Does Remote Work Kill Productivity? 9 Facts To Know

The Gartner survey found that over 31% of respondents felt like they were undervalued by their employers because of the different expectations placed on them due to the fact that they weren't physically present at work all day long. This article will explore what you need to know about remote working and whether or not it kills productivity!
It's a common misconception that remote work kills productivity, but is there any truth to this claim?
The net effect of this problem sees employees feeling undervalued by their employers which can, in turn, encourage them to phone in their performances. That's why it's so important to have the right Remote Workforce Management to Avoid Your Remote Work Culture to Become a Nightmare.
Does Remote work increase productivity?
We show you the facts to show how it doesn't.
Research from Stanford University has shown that employees who work remotely are 13% more productive than those working in an office.
What? A whopping 13% more!
The same study also found out that there is a significant drop in spendings when employers allow remote collaboration.
The number one company that benefits the most from remote work is Amazon, with its CEO Jeff Bezos allowing employees to take advantage of flexible schedules and working remotely since the 90s!
Here are the top 5 reasons remote work increases productivity
- Firstly, people are happier which leads to more productivity when they work in a familiar environment.
- Secondly, working remote reduces distractions for workers who want to get things done without being distracted by co-workers or office politics. This leads to a significant increase in productivity and efficiency.
- Thirdly, people who work remotely are likely to be more loyal because they feel valued making them less likely to jump ship for a competitor or another company offering better benefits. Being more loyal makes them, you guessed it right, more productive!
- Fourthly, it saves companies money on office space which leads directly into the next point of increased profits! Having their own office space, people who work remotely feel comfier which makes them more productive.
- Finally, they are more productive because they have the freedom to choose when and where they work from. If they need a break, be it 5 minutes or 2 hours, they can do that without worrying about looking bad in front of their boss. This leads to more productive hours too!
Okay, as we've already stated, working from home is a great way to save companies money on office space.
In addition, it also reduces commute time and makes workers more efficient because of their increased productivity levels.
But we at Sqotty.com always try to see things from several perspectives to get a clearer picture of the whole situation.
Let's take an example here to show how remote work can kill productivity if not implemented correctly!
But can Remote work decrease productivity too?
Yes. Most of the time this happens with companies new to remote work or those who are used to working with their employees in an office. This is why there are so many reports about decreasing productivity out there.
The main reason for this decrease is that they simply don't know how it works and what the benefits of remote work are.
Here are the top 5 things that kill productivity while working from home
- There are no goals and responsibilities given to remote workers. The worst part is that they are not even aware of this fact! This leads a lot of people to feel undervalued and eventually quit their jobs because they don't feel like giving it all for anything in return. With no goals or responsibilities, companies will see an increase in the number of employees phoning it in.
- The second reason why working from home can kill productivity is because employees feel like they don't have to work as hard when at home compared to the office. This feeling encourages them to take breaks and even call in sick more often than usual! Without proper monitoring, remote workers will rarely be productive while working from home which leads us to our next point.
- Remember how we said that remote workers feel like they don't have to work as hard because of the environment? Well, this is one of those times where you find out what people are made of! If employees do not want to be productive and achieve their goals for a specific day or hour, it can lead them to feel unmotivated which can be a huge problem for their employer.
- Bad communication also leads to a drop in productivity. This, again, is mostly the fault of companies who are new to remote work setups and aren't sure how they can integrate them into their office-based business model. Whenever there is a lack of communication between managers and employees or departments in general, productivity decreases because no one knows what's going on!
- Finally, too much freedom leads to a decrease in productivity. This is the same reason why we said earlier that having too much freedom can be bad for your work ethic and motivation levels! Without deadlines or goals to meet, employees will feel like they have no responsibilities which lead them to take breaks more often than usual which can also increase their chances of calling in sick.
Conclusion
Remote work can be a great way to increase company profits by eliminating the need for expensive office space. However, it's important to implement remote work effectively to reap these benefits and avoid some of its pitfalls.
Communication is key when implementing remote work so that employees can stay on top of what they're doing at all times without feeling like they don't know where their managers want them or expect them to go next- this will help keep productivity up!
Finally, too much freedom may sound enticing but it will lead workers towards less productive hours. Set limits on how many breaks people take during the day and make sure everyone knows what they should be working on each hour if you want your team members at home (or anywhere) to thrive.
We hope that these facts have helped to show you how remote work can kill productivity if not implemented correctly!
Now it's your turn. Write down what you'd like to write about in the comments, and I'll read through them all.