🤘 Why Remote Work works

Hello! 👋

It’s Thursday, 19 Sep, and today's issue is a bit different—we're compiling an extensive list of all the reasons why remote work is effective.

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Key Idea

Remote work not only benefits employees and companies but also offers significant advantages to society as a whole. Here’s the laundry list.

Employees Win

1. Ability to balance personal needs: Run errands or attend appointments without sacrificing work time.

2. Better work relationships: Conversations are more meaningful with lesser pressure to small talk.

3. Greater control over work: Gain autonomy by setting your own schedule and working at your best times.

4. Mental health boost: Reduces stress and anxiety from office life.

5. More sleep: No need to wake up early for a commute, allowing for more rest.

6. Support sick family members: Provide care without having to take days off.

7. Take care of kids: Balance parenting and work without missing out on either.

8. Take care of parents: Be available to assist aging family members while maintaining your career.

9. Work designed around life: Plan your work around your life, not the other way around.

10. Live wherever you want: The future of work is anywhere the WiFi connects seamlessly.

11. Avoids spreading illness: Sick employees can work from home without spreading germs to coworkers.

12. Flexible break times: You can take short breaks when needed, improving focus and well-being throughout the day.

13. Freedom to focus on health: More time for exercise, meal prep, and personal wellness routines.

14. Healthier eating habits: With full access to your own kitchen, it’s easier to prepare nutritious meals.

15. Lower stress levels: The flexibility of remote work often reduces stress from rigid schedules.

16. Reduced burnout: Remote work enables better work-life balance, reducing the risk of burnout.

17. Fewer distractions: Avoid constant interruptions from coworkers dropping by your desk.

18. Focus on results: Shift in focus to what you deliver, not how long you’re at the desk.

19. Greater accountability: Working remotely creates more accountability for delivering results.

20. Less office drama: Lesser involvement in office politics and conflicts.

21. Less wasted time in meetings: More efficient and to the point virtual meetings.

22. More flexible hours: Work can be scheduled around peak productivity times, especially in companies with async work.

23. No commute: Reclaim time spent in commuting to the office.

24. Personalized work environment: Design your workspace for maximum comfort and focus.

25. Work during peak productivity: Work when you're most efficient, whether it's early morning or late night.

26. Increased disposable income: With fewer work-related expenses, you have more money for savings or leisure.

27. Less need for takeout: You can prepare meals at home, saving money on daily lunches.

28. Lower commuting costs: No more spending on fuel, parking, or public transport.

29. No relocation expenses: Remote work means you don’t have to move to expensive urban centers for job opportunities.

30. Reduced office wardrobe expenses: Reduced need to buy and maintain formal work attire.

31. Continuous learning: More time and flexibility to pursue courses or certifications.

32. Exposure to new technologies: Remote workforces are typically early adopters of innovative work tools and platforms.

33. Improves communication skills: Virtual communication requires more clarity and intentionality, strengthening your communication skills.

34. Access to global opportunities: Remote work removes geographical barriers.

35. Mastering digital tools: Become proficient with collaboration and communication tools.

36. Avoid office clutter: No need to deal with shared office messes or cluttered break rooms.

37. Control over office temperature: No more fighting over the thermostat with coworkers.

38. Customize your workspace: From desk plants to ergonomic chairs, you can make your space truly yours.

39. Fewer office smells: No lingering scents from someone else’s lunch or burnt popcorn.

40. No awkward elevator chats: Avoid forced small talk in the elevator on the way to your office.

41. No need to pack lunches: Enjoy freshly cooked meals without the hassle of meal prepping for the office.

42. Use your own toilet: The privacy of your own bathroom beats a shared office bathroom, any day.

43. Work with your pets: No need for dog walkers or pet sitters when your furry friends can hang out with you.

44. Unique travel opportunities: Remote workers, especially digital nomads, can work while traveling to different locations.

Companies Win

45. Better alignment with sustainability goals: Reduce the company's carbon footprint by promoting remote work.

46. Better decision-making: Faster, more efficient decision-making processes with fewer bureaucratic delays.

47. Easier global expansion: Entering new markets simplified without the need for physical offices.

48. Flexibility in scaling up or down: Easier to grow or downsize based on business needs.

49. Less absenteeism: Employees less likely to call in sick if they can work from home.

50. Lower employee turnover: Happier employees, reduced turnover and lower recruitment costs.

51. More opportunities for part-time or freelance roles: Companies can leverage remote freelancers or contractors more easily.

52. Reduced need for office expansions: Companies can scale without investing in bigger offices.

53. Ability to attract specialized talent: Hire experts in niche areas without geographical restrictions.

54. Access to global talent: Hire the best candidates from anywhere in the world.

55. Get top talent from the dinosaurs: Become a magnet for top talents in firms with RTO mandates.

56. Greater employee retention: Workers more likely to stay with a company that offers remote work flexibility.

57. Increased employee loyalty: Flexible working conditions build stronger trust and loyalty among employees.

58. Increased female leadership: Remote-first companies have higher female workforce participation at all levels.

59. Greater Inclusivity for People with Disabilities: Remote work environments can be adapted to accommodate various needs, offering a more inclusive workspace.

60. Breaks down office bureaucracy: Allows for rethinking old processes, leading to more efficient and creative solutions.

61. Cross-border collaboration: Global teams, enabled by remote work, foster cultural exchange and spark innovative ideas.

62. Encourages experimentation: Give employees the freedom to test new ideas and work in innovative ways.

63. Stimulates creativity: Fresh approaches and creative breakthroughs due to flexible environments and diverse perspectives.

64. Lower office operations costs: Save on rent, utilities, office supplies, and maintenance by reducing physical office spaces.

65. Lower real estate expenses: Downsize office spaces, saving on rent and related costs.

66. Lower relocation expenses: No need to relocate employees to expensive city hubs.

67. Global talent at a lower cost: By leveraging global purchasing power parity, companies can optimize payroll costs and hire top talent at lower expenses.

68. Greener lifestyle: Contribute to global sustainability goals by reducing office waste and energy consumption.

69. Helps combat climate change: Reduce emissions and resource consumption, contributing to global efforts to combat climate change.

70. Reduced demand for office real estate: Less demand for large office spaces reduces need to construct new urban commercial real estate.

71. Reduced energy consumption: With fewer employees in physical offices, companies use less energy for heating, cooling, and lighting.

72. Reduces environmental footprint: Reduce environmental footprint by using fewer resources.

Greater Good

73. Encourages rural development: Increased demand for housing and services in small towns drives development and job creation.

74. Revitalizes small towns: Remote workers in smaller towns boost local economies by spending more on housing, food, and services.

75. Spreads out wealth: Income no longer concentrated in major urban hubs, distributing wealth more evenly across regions.

76. Economic empowerment for underserved regions: Creates access to jobs in regions that traditionally had fewer opportunities, spreading economic growth.

77. Global wealth redistribution: Employ people from lower-income regions, providing financial opportunities that boost global economic equity.

78. Reduces pressure on cities: Shifts some economic activity away from major cities, alleviating infrastructure strain and promoting balanced growth.

79. Decreases city pollution: With fewer people commuting, major cities experience lower pollution levels and cleaner air.

80. Lowers municipal spending: Frees up city budgets to focus on the pressing problems.

81. Urban decongestion: Less congestion and better quality of life in cities.

82. Reduction in Urban Housing Pressure: People encouraged to relocate to less populated areas, stabilizing city rents.

83. Promotion of Healthy Living Spaces: Increased demand for eco-friendly homes, promoting sustainable urban planning.

84. Global Resilience to Crises: Remote work enhances workforce resilience during crises, ensuring business continuity without relocation.

In conclusion, remote work presents a compelling case with numerous benefits. While it may not help cities that offer tax breaks to companies occupying office spaces or assist managers unwilling to adapt to a remote-first culture, the advantages seem to outweigh the drawbacks.

I'll keep updating this list periodically, so now you have a one-stop resource outlining the many advantages that remote work offers.

Also, you can download these points in a beautiful pdf from the link below. Hope you enjoy this.

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Curated news, articles, and opinion-pieces about the future of work and living - just for you.

A. Amazon announces return to office and changes to manager team ratio [Amazon]

Amazon CEO wants to increase the ratio of individual contributors to managers by at least 15% and wants the firm to return to office worldwide in order to improve “company culture”.

B. Are ‘work resorts’ an answer to rising office vacancy rates? [Archinect]

Industry studies posit that 50% of large international firms expect to reduce their existing office space over the next three years, while U.S. office vacancy rates sit at 20% and approximately 2 billion square feet of U.S. office space is underutilized. Work resorts might be a solution?

C. To Buy or Not To Buy: That Is the Question [FTI Consulting]

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D. What 570 Experts Predict the Future of Work Will Look Like [Harvard Business Review]

Optimists, skeptics, and pessimists engage in an interesting debate about the future of work. And when they say future, they mean predictions upto 2075!

About me

What truly matters in the workspaces and homes of tomorrow? What changes are unfolding, why do they matter, and where will they take us?

My name is Kartik and for the past 7 years, I’ve delved into the shifting landscapes of real estate, technology, business, and consumer behavior. With experience spanning corporate strategy, startups, and consulting, I’m now focused on shaping the future of work and living. My mission is to explore what’s coming next and how it will redefine the way we live and work. Through Bold Efforts, I share my insights and discoveries along the way.

Reposts

A. Okta is adopting dynamic work and challenging the old assumption that employees need to be tethered to large, centralized headquarters [Link]

Trends like urban unaffordability, tech-powered flexibility, and changing workforce demographics are pushing companies to adopt dynamic work!

B. Remote-first companies' stocks have outperformed the S&P 500 by an impressive 2.4x over the past two years [Link]

Over the past year, remote-first companies have done more than just adapt—they’ve excelled. The data shows they’ve delivered a remarkable 38% return over the last year, leaving the S&P 500’s 19% return in the dust.

C. Spotify is undergoing a fascinating remote work experiment that has been unfolding over the past three years (and counting) [Link]

Their WFA program had been brewing since early 2020, even before the world turned upside down. The company is on its way to become a fully distributed company by 2025.