More than 5% of employees now work remotely, likely to increase amid COVID-19 concerns

(KEYC) — Working from home has become a common practice for many professional Americans.

According to Quartz, a media outlet for business news, more than 5% of the national workforce now works remotely, a number that is likely to hit an all-time high in the coming weeks due to the number of citizens asked to work from home to practice social isolation as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“If you’re going to work from home, get your own space. It doesn’t have to be its own room, but do the best you can in your house. Pick somewhere quiet. Get a desk and a laptop and a webcam and a mic and make the most of it. We will all get better at this over time,” author and cybersecurity professional Greg Scott explained.

Like most anything else, there is going to be a slight adjustment period, so a little bit of self-discipline will be key.

“You’re going to be at home and it’s tempting to just mess around and do home stuff because you are at home, but it’s also tempting to go the opposite and just be a slave to work all day long,” Scott continued.

Temptations aside, there can be serious benefits for both employee and employer.

In 2017, Gallup found companies that offer work-from-home options helps businesses retain their employees. Likewise, working from home has been proven to increase employee productivity.

“Let’s measure people based on results. That’s why we have our jobs is to deliver results and so lets measure people based on the results we deliver instead of sitting in a cubicle staring off into space, pretending to deliver results,” Scott added.

So maybe this little hiatus many are experiencing from the office could become permanent, or maybe things will return to the way they were in a few weeks.

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