The past few decades have seen the accelerated growth of remote work arrangements, from roles traditionally performed off-site to a trendy and popular fringe benefit. This perk was largely offered by progressive organizations to its previously on-site workers. Today, remote work arrangements are no longer a passing trend, but an option that employees across Canada’s diverse industries expect to be offered. A 2018 study by Indeed revealed that 62 per cent of Canadian employers offer some type of remote work option. It is now less a question of whether employers should offer a remote work option, than how employers can ensure the success of their remote work program. Softchoice’s 2017 study “Collaboration Unleashed” revealed that 74 per cent of workers would be enticed to quit their jobs for the chance to work remotely more often. 

A successful remote work arrangement must be developed with consideration for the employee experience and the organization’s bottom line. Working remotely creates different challenges in these areas. Buffer.com’s 2019 “State of Remote Work” survey showed that although employees were strongly attracted to working off-site, 19 per cent were challenged with loneliness, 17 per cent experienced collaborating and/or communication issues with co-workers and 22 per cent struggled with unplugging from work. Addressing these challenges might involve encouraging voice and video calls over text and email and ensuring consistent in-person company meetings and socials are offered.

Strong collaboration and clear communication with co-workers are crucial to building and maintaining productive relationships on teams, especially in mentorship and training situations. There are a host of digital workplace solutions that allow for real-time connection and collaboration between colleagues. Furthermore, setting micro check-ins and consistent meeting times can assist in increasing the employee’s feeling of belonging and ease of contributing to the team. The fact that remote workers have trouble with unplugging should be planned for and can be partially mitigated by setting clear expectations on the number of mandatory work hours, required deliverables and potentially setting out-of-office replies with planned office hours.

An organization’s bottom line can be positively affected by the influx of remote workers – due to decreased brick and mortar related costs – and an increase in productivity. In addition, remote workers can increase an organization’s brand visibility, as they can bring a presence to an expanded area without the cost of establishing a new branch. Generally, employers do not cover periphery costs like home internet, food and drink at coffee shops or furniture for in-home setups. Productivity of remote workers is often reported to be higher than their on-site cohorts, partly due to decreased distractions and greater focus on work because employees are choosing when they are prepared to work.

On the other hand, remote workers’ productivity has been proven to be more inconsistent. In consideration of the organization’s bottom line, employers should consider setting productivity and deliverable measurements, as well as expectations to help determine the program’s success. Health and safety, IT and insurance costs are other notable areas that should be addressed when developing remote work programs. Depending on the jurisdiction, the remote worksite can be considered an extension of the organization’s brick and mortar location and susceptible to the same rules and risks.

While there are several important components to consider when developing a successful remote work arrangement, there is no doubt that it can be a great asset to both the organization and the employee. Remote work setups are here to stay and can be vital to an organization’s recruitment efforts in attracting top talent from around the globe. To stay relevant in today’s workplace, employers must evaluate how they will incorporate remote work options in their total rewards packages.