Remote and hybrid work: Good for your employees, the environment, and your business
Learn how remote and hybrid work boosts productivity, reduces costs, and lowers emissions while promoting employee wellbeing.
Recently the tech giant Amazon sent a clear message to its corporate employees: Either return to on-site work five-days a week or—leave. According to a recent survey, 91% of its workers weren’t happy with the order, with almost three in four considering a new role elsewhere.
Nonetheless, 2024 has seen a rise in return-to-office (RTO) mandates, with high-profile companies including Boeing, Goldman Sachs, UPS, and Dell shifting away from remote and hybrid models. But while companies defend RTO mandates with reference to increased productivity, there is little evidence that remote workers get less done.
What remains clear, however, is that remote and hybrid models of work offer numerous benefits to businesses, employees, and the environment. Let’s take a look at them now.
How do companies benefit from remote work?
Cut operational costs
For one thing, offices are expensive. Going (or staying) remote or hybrid offers a clear way to reduce operational costs by saving energy on lighting, heating, and air conditioning.
Get access to the best talent
Remote and hybrid work remains attractive to workers. According to LinkedIn, in the US only 10% of posted roles are fully remote, but they received 46% of all applications. This popularity means you can attract and retain talent easier. With fully remote work, you can do so from anywhere in the world.
This is particularly relevant for countering global labor shortages (for example, the IT skills gap). With the right technology, after all, your office location is just an address—work can be done from anywhere.
Increase employee productivity
A recent study looked at Standard and Poor’s 500 firms—the largest companies listed on US stock exchanges—that had implemented RTO mandates forcing employees to be in the office five days a week. It found no significant changes in financial performance or firm values after the mandates were implemented. It did, however, find a sharp decrease in employee job satisfaction.
Happier employees are more productive. Employees working from home have shown greater productivity with higher engagement and fewer absences, if supported with the right tools.
Scale with confidence
With remote or hybrid work in place, you are in an excellent position to maintain full flexibility and scalability. This could be useful when you have a big project that requires collaboration with additional remote experts, or you need to scale your workforce up or down.
Stay sustainable
According to a 2022 study, 75% of Gen Z consumers said they prefer to buy from sustainable brands, compared to 71% of Millennials, 65% of Gen X, and 48% of Baby Boomers.
Today, customers are more environmentally aware, aligning their morals and loyalty with products and services from eco-friendly companies. Hybrid or remote work can be a way of communicating your sustainable values to employees as well as potential customers.
Read more: Why sustainability matters in the tech business
What are the environmental benefits of remote work?
Less need for office space
According to the UN Environment Program, the construction sector is by far the largest emitter of greenhouse gases, accounting for 37% of global emissions. By going hybrid or remote, you reduce the need for office space. This in turn reduces the need for construction in general.
Reduce emissions from commuting
In the US, commuting is the second largest source of greenhouse emissions. By minimizing the number of commuting employees, we can dramatically decrease emissions, reducing office waste and energy consumption.
Read more: Does remote work help the climate? How remote access and support affect greenhouse gas emissions
Eliminate unnecessary travel
With the right technology, you can avoid lots of unnecessary—and especially domestic—travel. And this means cutting considerable emissions: one recent study estimated that air travel alone accounts for up to 3.5% of all global emissions.
Our experience from the pandemic shows that business meetings and IT support can work just as well remotely. And they have never been more effective with the arrival of AI.
Reduce waste associated with office work
Takeaway coffees and sandwiches, single-use cutlery and napkins: Working in the office often means a lot of waste. Employees working from home, by contrast, tend to consume less packaged convenience food and drinks.
Why do people want to work remotely?
People are choosing remote and hybrid models of work for various reasons. Firstly, it means that they can often skip the commute. This means avoiding the stress of traffic jams or never-ending bus journeys. Not to mention the associated costs!
Secondly, by avoiding commuting, they can also minimize their exposure to environmental hazards, pollution, and poor air quality. This can help to keep employees healthier.
Again, by eliminating the commute, remote and hybrid work delivers better work-life balance with more time to exercise and more time to spend with friends and family.
Lastly, remote and hybrid work make work more accessible. This applies to neurodivergent people and those living with disabilities, as well as people who simply need more flexibility in their working setup.
Mothers with young children, to take one example: According to a recent McKinsey report, 38% say that they would have to quit or reduce their work hours without workplace flexibility.
Read more: Supporting gender equity with flexible remote work
Summary
Despite the increasing number of RTO mandates worldwide, the case for remote and hybrid work remains strong—from a business, employee, and environmental perspective. With the right tools, you can maintain productivity, attract and retain employees, and eliminate the financial and environmental costs of office work.