Figures from the Office of National Statistics suggest that more people are working remotely than ever before, with 13.9% of employees abandoning the office and working from home instead. Wondering why the number of remote-friendly companies is on the rise? Here are just 5 reasons:

1. They’ll get more work done

Numerous studies suggest that workers are more productive when they work from home. One such study suggests that 91% of remote workers get more done when given the freedom to work wherever they wish.

They’re less likely to be distracted by other employees, office politics, and unnecessary meetings. When working from home, employees also have freedom to pick and choose break times to suit them. If they feel their attention span plummeting, there’s nothing stopping them taking a short walk to clear their mind before returning to their desk and carrying on with their work.

Many employees are so grateful for the opportunity to work from home that they’ll do more work from the comfort of their own sofa than they would in the office. Some will even factor the amount of time they’ve saved on transport into the equation and work a slightly longer day than is expected of them.

2. Improve staff retention

Although an increasing number of workplaces are embracing flexible working schedules, most companies are still quite strict when it comes to office hours. By being one of the forward-thinking few to let your employees work from home, you’ll improve staff retention. After all, the freedom you give your workers is likely to make them happier, healthier and more content with their jobs. In fact, telecommuting workers are 48% more likely to give their job a 10 out of 10 on the happiness scale, according to one survey.

3. Take your pick from a wider choice of candidates

Finding the right people to fill job vacancies within your company can be a challenge to say the least. With companies fighting amongst themselves for the best candidates, you’ll need to do everything you can to stand out in the crowd and encourage job applicants to choose you.

A flexible working policy can instantly make you more appealing to talented workers. When an applicant has to choose between two similar companies, finding out that one offers flexi-time and the opportunity to work remotely can make the decision process so much easier.

You’ll also be able to hire people who live further away and those who may be perfect for the job but have complicated family commitments that require them to work unsociable hours.

4. Reduce the number of sick days your employees take

The common cold is a perfect example of an illness that can make an employee too sick to travel into work but not ill enough to spend the whole day in bed. By giving employees the option to work from home, you enable workers to speed up their recovery time without dramatically slashing productivity. You’ll also reduce the spread of illnesses and keep other workers from getting ill.

5. Technology is making remote working easier than ever

Thanks to cloud computing, virtual desktops and tools as simple as Google Drive, remote working has never been easier. Workers can access company data from a range of devices and locations, meaning they’re no longer restricted to the office environment.

There’s no need to abandon the office completely. Letting your staff work from home one day a week, one week a month or whenever they need a break from the workplace can dramatically change the happiness of your workers and success of your company.

If you’d like help to embrace a flexible working schedule, please get in touch with the team at Prism. We’ll introduce you to the right cloud computing tools for you before helping you install game-changing equipment to make the transition to a more flexible workplace as effortless as possible.