It's worth noting that the vast majority of employees still love remote work. As many as 98% have expressed a desire to work remotely at least some of the time. Employers, on the other hand, are less sure. The benefits to employees — lower stress, higher job satisfaction, better health — are more readily apparent, but the benefits to employers are no less significant. Remote work leads to a host of positive outcomes, such as higher productivity levels, decreased turnover, reduced absenteeism and stronger teams.
Despite its popularity, many employers are pushing for a return to the workplace. Last August, President Biden called for all federal workers to return to the office — a process that had been slow and met with resistance. Major retailers like Amazon and Nike also doubled down on their office-return initiatives. Nationwide, this push has led a growing number of employees to seek new employment opportunities. In fact, an Integrated Benefits Institute report found that about half of employees would either quit their job or begin job-hunting immediately if their employer implemented a full-time in-office mandate.
Read more: 7 things employees hate about the office — and how to fix them
As benefit advisers, we should encourage HR departments to value employee wellness and success first and foremost. That means working for rather than against employees. Managers should look at the results and impact of remote work to guide their return-to-office policies – and the results support flexible working conditions. Employers owe it to their employees to advocate for flexible remote working arrangements that reflect what's best for employees and prioritize results over onsite work.
A company's success depends on its employees' well-being and individual success — not on their physical presence. Prioritizing team members creates stronger teams that ultimately produce better work. Aquent's 2023 Talent Insights Report, which surveyed 5,431 marketing, creative and digital talent globally, found that 66% of remote teams identify as high-performing, compared to only 47% of in-person teams.
When considering the benefits that remote work offers, this makes sense: Less time commuting, fewer interruptions and a better work-life balance all have a positive impact on employee satisfaction and performance. For example, a University of Chicago study of 27 countries found that remote workers saved an average of 72 minutes a day by not commuting in 2021 and 2022 — and they used 40% of this time to complete tasks for work. Why push for the older, less efficient model of before when the benefits of this new hybrid and remote lifestyle are so evident?
Read more: RTO or WFH? 6 leaders weigh in on what works best
Aside from sheer minutes in the day, remote working environments also drive productivity by encouraging greater workplace diversity. Diverse teams are proven to generate unconventional ideas, foster psychological safety among employees and boost workplace culture. By being open to remote work and schedules that meet the needs of employees, companies eliminate geographical, physical and social barriers and open the door for individuals that enrich their teams.
Specifically, remote work creates career opportunities for working parents, caregivers, ethnically diverse employees, employees with disabilities and other underrepresented groups. On the other hand, failing to offer flexible work options disproportionately affects employees with disabilities and underrepresented groups – hindering workplace diversity.
Remote work also helps to minimize the barriers that marginalized and underrepresented groups sometimes face in an in-person office environment. Technology helps level the playing field with features such as virtual hand-raising and asynchronous communication, ensuring all team members are heard. Aquent's Talent Insight report found that on average, remote teams were between 15% to 20% more effective than in-office teams at encouraging open and inclusive discussions and actively seeking diverse perspectives and opinions. Cultivating increased opportunities for underrepresented groups is key to fostering the diverse thinking that drives high performance.
Mutual trust is central to team excellence — and allowing employees to lead the way in dictating how they work best is a strong indicator of whether this trust is present. But to encourage open lines of communication regardless of working proximity, managers must be intentional. Regular employee check-ins and self-assessment surveys are even more important for remote teams to promote trust, safety and clarity and ensure transparent communication across departments. Trust is also directly correlated to performance: teams with greater trust in their colleagues routinely perform higher. In other words, managing virtual teams after years of working in-person may be an adjustment, but it is worthwhile.
Overall, remote and hybrid teams will attract and retain more diverse employees, and lead to stronger performance and greater productivity. Organizations that embrace this reality will see the benefits ripple throughout their workforce. Benefit advisers have a central role to play in helping employers shape the future of the workplace. If we follow the data, there is a strong case to be made against returning to the old way of working. Instead, we should forge the path for a more flexible, more efficient remote-first model and emphasize the dynamics of a healthy and high-performing team. Advocating for employees' well-being is a forward-thinking long-term strategy. In a new work renaissance, the focus should be on holistic success instead of physical whereabouts.
