In the debate between remote/hybrid/flexible work and a return to the office, the lived experiences of UK companies that have been operating remotely should bear more weight than speculation, says Joseph Boll, CEO, Remote Worker.
“We’ve known that remote work has incredible benefits for both employers and employees,” says Boll. “The many positive experiences of remote businesses really should outweigh the speculation of naysayers who insist, incorrectly, that returning to the office is the best way to go.”
Remote Worker is an organisation that specialises in helping hiring managers and businesses connect with job-seeking professionals for remote work positions. Boll, its CEO, has continued to advise employers to be mindful of the fact that most UK workers are in favour of remote or flexible work. Further, he has repeatedly made the case that businesses do themselves a disservice by rejecting remote work, especially given the current labour climate.
Boll maintains this stance, but also points to new data by Remote, which indicates 88 per cent of UK businesses surveyed that are operating remotely feel that “having a hybrid/remote company structure has positively impacted their company culture”. Of that same grouping, 80 per cent also report significant savings on their overhead business costs as a result of remote work. Additionally, 56 per cent have hired international remote workers, which Boll has previously suggested could be a potential solution to the United Kingdom’s labour shortage.
Remote concludes, “Because remote work allows for maintained — or even increased — levels of productivity, along with significant cost savings, running a remote business has become the preferred tactic for cost-conscious entrepreneurs.”
Likewise, Boll says, “Remote work just makes sense for employees and employers. Rather than listening to the ‘noise in the market’ that suggests ridiculous untruths like employees can’t collaborate remotely, or won’t work unless they are being physically micromanaged, let the data and lived experiences speak for themselves.
“Companies working remotely, or that have at least some level of hybrid or flexible working, continue to tout its many benefits. It seems there are always new studies being published showing how the businesses that embrace remote work are winning in this labour market. And the British labour force itself has also expressed a strong preference not to return to a wholly in-person working model. These hard facts are far more convincing than speculation that data continues to disprove.”
