In 2017 and beyond, remote workforces are set to become more and more prevalent amongst companies all over the world. Indeed, data from GlobalWorkplaceAnalytics.com reveals that remote working – also known as “teleworking” – amongst the non-self-employed has risen 103% since 2005.

In addition:

- 50% of the US workforce holds a job that is compatible with at least partial telework and approximately 20-25% of the workforce teleworks at some frequency.
- 80% to 90% of the US workforce says they would like to telework at least part time. Two to three days a week seems to be the sweet spot that allows for a balance of concentrative work (at home) and collaborative work (at the office).
- Fortune 1000 companies around the globe are entirely revamping their space around the fact that employees are already mobile. Studies repeatedly show they are not at their desk 50-60% of the time.

All of this is positive news for businesses.

Why? Because a number of studies have shown that remote workers are happy workers, and a happy workforce is a more productive one.

In the US, scholars at Stanford University conducted research – the 2014 Ctrip Study – which concluded that people who work from home are on average 13% more efficient than those who have to come into the office every day of the week. The Money & Career CheatSheet reports on the findings: “Professor Nicholas Bloom, one of the study’s authors, claims the work-from-home experiment, which lasted nine months, saved the company $1,900 per employee. This factors in savings on office space, higher performance, and fewer people quitting.” Read Full Article