It’s a new world, one where you have autonomy.

Remote work, a temporary solution to a global pandemic, has quickly become a characteristic of today’s workforce. The option of remote work may have been the solution the world has needed for a long time to help mitigate the burden for many categories of workers.

Going into the office for work has always been the way we worked and so we accepted what came along with it: the cost of commuting, including car maintenance and parking,  the cost of extended childcare, and time spent commuting. 

According to an article by BankRate.com commuters in the United States spend approximately $8,466 per year on their commute (about 19% of their annual income) alone. 

via GIPHY

Additionally, a shorter commute and flexible work arrangements are both among the top ten motivators to looking for a new job with the latter ranking in top three.

The world has changed. The workforce has gone remote and many Americans are finding value and expanded opportunities in remote work. Remote work is helping to eliminate barriers for both employees and employers. The autonomy afforded to employees when given the option of remote work can help with attracting top talent, retention, work-life balance, stress, financial savings, and more. 

“The results of the American Opportunity Survey reflect sweeping changes in the US workforce, including the equivalent of 92 million workers offered flexible work, 80 million workers engaged in flexible work, and a large number of respondents citing a search for flexible work as a major motivator to find a new job.”

Here’s our two cents:

Flexible work offers us the opportunity to work smarter, not harder. 

• Time saved on commuting can be used to build a new skill. Enter sites like Coursera, Udacity, Udemy, and other e-learning platforms.
• Money saved on commuting, parking, and other work related expenses can be put to better use. The price of a cup of coffee gets you a workspace for the day, free wifi and the opportunity to network. 

• If you’re among the segment of Americans reclaiming $8,466 of your income, this is a great time to build your emergency fund and/or invest.