Anecdotally, it seems to boil down to personality type and the job you do. That’s also the reason it’s hard to find any solid data on whether or not people are more productive at home. Your productivity and overall success as a remote employee depends entirely on your preferred work style. When it comes to a company’s work from home policy, everyone is different. It stands to reason that, in the end, companies benefit from these remote employees by getting projects completed faster with fewer mistakes. Working from home can allow workers to minimize distractions and increase the time they spend focused on a project. This way I can control when I answer calls and emails and when I 'go silent' to get some work done.”įor employees who can’t afford to be distracted a number of times a day, having a controlled environment can be key to their productivity. “As a programmer, I need large chunks of time to really make progress on a project,” states Ann Gaffigan, CTO of Land Pros Systems, Inc., “In an office, there are so many potential distractions, with people knocking on the door or customers stopping in. Working from home can reduce the amount of distractions these workers face, allowing them to get more done during work hours. It could be due to the nature of most tech jobs-especially jobs for developers and programmers-that require a strong attention to detail and long hours of focus. While remote workers can be found in a number of different industries, it’s more prevalent in the tech-sphere. As a result, the location of the person is no longer as important, as long as they have a reliable Internet connection.” Nature of tech Boris Kontsevoi, founder and president of Intetics Co says, “In the tech sphere, the majority of the work happens on the computer and online. Tech is also experiencing a shortage of talent for a number of jobs, and hiring remote workers opens the talent pool for companies seeking STEM workers. With video chats, conference calls, VPN networks, and wireless Internet, we can constantly stay connected as though we were sitting in our office, rather than at home. The tech industry is well known for its flexible schedules and telecommuting opportunities, which makes sense, considering most tech companies are web-based and technology is the greatest resource when working from home. Research also suggests companies that encourage and support a work-from-home protocol actually save money in the long run-an added bonus on the employer side. Recent studies have supported the idea that working from home-for the right people-can increase productivity and decrease stress. Chances are, your answer greatly depends on how you personally fare when working from home. While some people swear by 40 hours a week in the office, there is growing support for the second camp of workers who find they are more productive working from home. One group usually thinks that people will get nothing done, and the other group believes workers will be happier and more productive. There are two camps when it comes to working from home.