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Four Reasons to Let Employees Work from Home

Today’s employees consider schedule flexibility an attractive benefit. According to a survey by FlexJobs, an online job search website, the options these workers are most interested in are telecommuting all of the time (79 percent), alternative/flexible schedules (47 percent), and telecommuting part of the time (44 percent). While working from home full time isn’t possible in many positions, there are more reasons than you may think to allow your employees to work from home one or more days a week.

  1. It will make them more productive.

Among the respondents of the FlexJobs survey, 54 percent reported that their home offers the best environment for working on important assignments. Only 19 percent felt they could get more done at the office during regular working hours. Another survey by ConnectSolutions, a private-cloud solutions provider, found that 77 percent of the respondents who worked off site at least a few times each month reported greater productivity. Additionally, 52 percent were less likely to take time off when sick if they could work remotely instead.

  1. It will reduce their stress levels.

Among the respondents of the FlexJobs survey, 88 percent reported that working remotely reduces their overall stress. Eighty percent said it helps them be healthier all around. Another survey found that this reduction in stress due to the ability to work off site improved morale for 80 percent of the employees.  Sixty-nine percent reported it improved absenteeism as well.

  1. It will make them more loyal.

Employee retention is a big deal at most companies. No one wants to lose a good worker after making significant investments in his or her training and career development. However, allowing these high performers to work from home on occasion may go a long way towards ensuring they remain engaged, happy and loyally employed with you. A Stanford study found that remote work options decreased employee turnover by 50 percent. Among the respondents of the FlexJobs survey, 82 percent said they’d be more loyal to their employer if they had flexible work options.

  1. It could even reduce your costs.

The FlexJobs survey also found that 20 percent of workers would be willing to take a 10 percent pay cut in exchange for flexible work options. Twenty-two percent would give up health benefits, and 18 percent would be willing to work more hours if they were allowed to work from home. Additionally, there is some evidence that allowing your team to work remotely can also reduce your real estate expenses and overhead.

If your employee benefits package does not currently include schedule flexibility or remote work opportunities, you may want to consider adding these popular options. To learn more about how to make off site work a practical benefit at your organization, contact us today.

You Can Become a Better Boss

Do You Need Employment Practices Liability Insurance

According to a 2015 Gallup survey of more than 7,000 U.S. workers, 51 percent of employees have quit a job to get away from a boss. The reasons are many, from lack of communication and appreciation to favoritism and micromanagement. If you’ve noticed that turnover in your department is increasing, you may want to take a look at your management style and consider these simple things you can do to become better liked and respected by your team.

Maintain your boundaries. Boundaries are necessary in the boss/employee relationship, so don’t ask to join your team for lunch or invite them to hang out after work. You are their leader, not their friend or confidant. While this doesn’t mean you don’t need to listen when they approach you with a concern or complaint, it does mean you shouldn’t give in to every demand in effort to placate them or make superficial gestures to show you’re just ‘one of the guys.’

Solicit constructive criticism. Regularly ask your team how you’re doing and if there’s anything they think you can do better. Encouraging them to critique your performance honestly—and accepting that criticism gracefully—is a great way to create a work environment where constructive feedback is welcomed rather than resented. As a result, you’ll have to deal with fewer negative responses from the team when you need to give feedback rather than praise.

Give them space. While you need to be a visible, active part of your department in order to be an effective leader, you don’t have to hover, micromanage or even stay in constant communication. The most engaged employees are often the ones who feel like their bosses trust them to do their jobs correctly even when they’re given greater responsibilities. And engaged employees are generally happier with their relationships with their bosses and less likely to leave.

Watch your tone. Sometimes you’ll have to be the bearer of bad news.  However, it’s important to stay positive and try to find the good as well as the bad. A month that’s shaping up to be slower than normal could be an opportunity to work on projects that have been on the back burner. Losing a client to a competitor could be the inspiration to work harder than ever at improving the company’s products and processes.

Ask your employees for help. Everyone wants to feel like they’re needed at work. Don’t hesitate to delegate tasks your employees can complete quickly and successfully. They’ll feel important and pleased that you trusted them with a special project. You’ll have happier, more engaged employees as a result. Note: Don’t do this if an employee has complained about being overworked or during times when the team is especially busy. In those cases, it’s more likely to do more harm than good.

Apologize for your mistakes.Maybe you gave someone the wrong information and they made their own error as a result. Perhaps you distractedly snapped at a team member after a call with an irate client. Whatever your error, it’s important to own it—and do so publically. You’ll earn the respect of your staff and encourage them to take responsibility for their own shortcomings as well.