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Working From Home Benefits Both The Employer And Employee

(CBS) — If you live in Chicago, or another area where at times the weather just makes you want to stay home, the choice to work from home may sound like a dream.

Some of us do not have that choice, but many companies are moving towards that route based on the benefits. CBS 3 Philly reports.

More than half of workers could put in an eight hour day from home, or wherever, if given the option, but the percentage of those who regularly telecommuter is low.

Kate Lister, who heads the flexible work advocate Global Workplace Analytics said, "Take your salary and divide it by 250 working days a year. For every one of those days you're not at work, your employer has lost that productivity."

"We estimate for every half-time telecommuter, the employer saves about $11,000 a year," Lister said, crunching the numbers. "That's a combination of real estate savings, productivity, absenteeism, and turnover."

Global Workplace Analytics' research found that 50 percent of the U.S. workforce holds a job that is compatible with at least partial telework, but only 20 to 25 percent of the U.S. workforce teleworks at some frequency.

On the flip side, 80 to 90 percent of the U.S. workforce said they would like to telework at least part of the week.

Remote.co, a resource for companies that see remote work as an opportunity, from hiring to training to managing distributed teams, put together a list of "10 Stats About Remote Work" gathered from different studies:

1. Remote work can increase worker productivity, according to an infographic based on data from SurePayroll, a web-based payroll provider for small businesses.
2. It drives employee efficiency, a report from ConnectSolutions concluded.
3. It lowers stress and boosts morale, according to study by PGI.
4. It reduces employee turnover, according to a study published by Stanford University.
5. It decreases real estate costs and overhead, according to a Forbes magazine report.
6. It often leads to greater employee engagement, Harvard Business Review concluded.
7. It positively impacts the environment.
8. It meets demands of younger workers, according to a survey by AfterCollege.
9. It's the future of work, Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows.
10. It's a global phenomenon.

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