For years, researchers have theorized about the amount of productivity gained or lost from employees working from home. Each business is different in its potential to allow employees to work remotely, depending on the industry, time spent facing clients, and staffing. Recent studies are showing the number of employees working from home has increased significantly during the past decade.  Further, employees working from home have become more productive.

Brandon Carter, senior content marketing manager at TheSquareFoot, mentions a study in his article People are Working From Home More Often. Is That a Good Thing? that found that within the past 5 years, the number of employees working from home has increased by 36%.

Employees working remotely are given the flexibility of planning their own workday schedule in the comfort of their home. This decreases the amount of space necessary to accommodate the number of people working in the actual office. An increase in this trend affects industries such as our business, commercial real estate, by lowering the demand for office space and for professionals that assist in providing commercial real estate advisory services to companies. There is significant value in having employees in the office on a regular basis. Companies are beginning to designate remote work areas for employees who are only in the office a couple days a week. This way, they have a space to work when they go to the office.

Carter’s article does mention that working remotely may have a negative impact on an employee’s career. Being within the office promotes company unity and the community that develops from employee interaction. The absence of day-to-day conversation, whether it be in the break room or before a meeting begins, may result in a loss of office synergy. Managers need to carefully calculate each remote employee’s position to effectively determine the best work environment for them.

Being in commercial real estate, it may seem counter-productive for me to recommend managers to encourage employees to work from home. Each business is unique and some may thrive on flexibility. At CARMEN Commercial Real Estate, the client’s wants and needs are a priority.

Considering cutting down space to accommodate for remote employees? Talk to us, at CARMEN about your office space ideas and needs, and we’ll help you arrive at the most efficient office solution.