From social gatherings to workplace meetings, we’ve all become accustomed to interacting via the screen. This necessary part of lockdown has led the way towards changing views on remote work. That dream of working from home in your PJs has become a reality that’s quickly forming future trends for both work and lifestyle options.
Working from home offers a range of lifestyle benefits.
Remote working statistics set to rise
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the number of residents working from home leapt by 33,000 between 2006 and 2011. With the ‘e-change’ movement, better internet connectivity and a growing desire for affordable lifestyle options, this cultural shift was already well underway before lockdown.
It was predicted that around one million Australians could be working from home by 2026. Research conducted by Stanford’s Centre indicates about 30% of workers have the capacity to work from home. Combined with these previous statistics, it makes sense that the impact of lockdown might significantly speed up the trajectory.
Businesses retain remote employees
The ‘new normal’ after lockdown includes sections of employees who’ll continue to work from home.
The ‘new normal’ after lockdown includes sections of employees who’ll continue to work from home. In some cases, this stems from financial restraints such as an inability to retain office leases. However, there’s a rising acknowledgement of how productive home working can be. Advanced technology ensures we don’t need to be in the office all the time and added flexibility takes the pressure off many employees, leading to better results.
Amber Butler, DPN’s People and Culture Leader, had this to say about remote working “we have always had a flexible approach to work and thankfully prior to the COVID pandemic almost all of our team worked at least one day a week from home. This meant that when we made the decision to move our whole business to work from home in March, it was fairly seamless with little disruption for our clients. At this stage, we are continuing to operate with the team working from home which will likely influence new ways of working going forward.”
Remote work presents the opportunity for a lifestyle shift to growth areas like Ballina.
Highlighted benefits of working from home
During lockdown, working from home is one of the most effective ways of curbing the spread of COVID-19. However, many of us have often wished for this flexibility and, now, employers have experienced the benefits first-hand. At the top of the benefits list is emotional wellbeing, with more time for families to spend quality time together.
Much of this time is derived from the reduced need to commute and adhere to stringent start and finish times. Along with cost-saving benefits, employers reap the rewards of happy, productive employees. The trend towards work-life balance seems to be tipping in favour of the best of both worlds.
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Increased ability to make a lifestyle shift
Traditionally, a sea or tree change has been the domain of retirees. In recent times, younger generations have been taking advantage of fast internet, along with booming infrastructure in regional and coastal towns, to make the move from the city. For example, 3,678 people migrated from Sydney to the Central Coast, and 3,136 did so to the Gold Coast, between 2018 and 2019.
Affordable housing and the ability to launch into property investment in growth areas are top drawcards. With hundreds of lifestyle locations within accessible commute times of capital cities, there’s little stopping people from making the shift.
While times remain uncertain, emerging trends present opportunities for savvy investors and those looking for a lifestyle change across the country.