I wake up, yawn, and stretch as if I’m pressing the ends of my bed apart.  As I casually finish breakfast, I take a deep breath and realize it's time to get ready for work.  I brush my teeth, brush my hair, put on my tie…Ok, I don’t put on a tie. I’m actually still in my sweatpants.  Despite Boston having the worst traffic in the USA, according to Google, I'm not worried about it at all. Why? Because my commute isn’t going to take 45 minutes this morning because my desk is only 45 feet from my bedroom. Vodia, my employer, takes advantage of technology so its employees can work from home when needed.

The work from home trend has gained quite a bit of traction over the years. Considering how many companies are going global and employing talent in remote places, it was only a matter of time before this happened.  With that said, this trend isn't only gaining traction because of necessity, it's also because of the benefits. 2020 is a tech savvy time to be alive, and provided companies give their employees the proper tools to do it, working from home can prove to be a catalyst for surprisingly high productivity, compared to working in the office.

77% of professionals report productivity increases when they work remotely.  Additionally, 30% of these professionals state they can actually get more done in less time when compared to working in a traditional office setting.  This claim of high productivity is most likely due to the lack of coworker distractions and time-consuming meetings professionals often deal with. Certainly distractions can happen at home too, but these distractions are far outweighed by the lack of in-office distractions most of us experience at work.

In a two-year Stanford study, employers reported a higher rate of morale among employees who worked remotely. According to a report from OWL Labs, employees are 29% more likely to report they are happy with their jobs even if they are only allowed to work from home for one day per month. Additionally, workers benefit from having a more flexible schedule, by being able to more appropriately customize their workspace to their liking, and by avoiding lengthy and stressful commutes.  

Not only can these positive changes be good for mental health, but working remotely can quite literally keep you safe, too.  Currently, we are seeing an unprecedented focus on what could turn into a global pandemic with the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) wreaking havoc throughout the world.  Over the past few days, we have heard the unfortunate news that there are strict travel restrictions on millions of Italians because their government is trying to stop the spread of the disease.  

Given the abrupt disruption in numerous lives, the global economy is having a rough go of it, but I haven’t experienced much disruption in my own day-to-day life. This is because my job provides me the ability to work from home. Using the VoIP phone system Vodia has built, along with all the other features Vodia and our other partner vendors have created, my workday is essentially the same.  I’ve lost no traction or momentum on any of the projects and tasks I have on my laundry list of items to do in the office. The only disappointing thing is my buddy who sits next to me in the office isn't sitting with me at home, so pranking him throughout the day demands more creativity - it has to be done through cyberspace!

There are more reasons why working from home is a good option for workers, but at the end of the day we must realize that. regardless of the benefits, this is where the world is going. Vodia has created a beautiful suite of telecommunications tools to help companies create, collaborate and celebrate with each other by connecting us all through the cloud. Needless to say, if you are not taking advantage of our products yet, it's time you do! Find out more at vodia.com or by contacting sales@vodia.com.

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