When the concept of remote work first surfaced in the late 1960s, it was termed “telecommuting” as this was the technology in place to connect those working remote with those in the traditional office.  The term has evolved with several iterations of the concept including: telework or working from home. Some additional terms on the scene today include: remote work, flex work, distributed work, mobile work, low-density workplace, work shifting, and smart working.

The phenomenon of working remote is changing our very conceptualization of work. There is a significant trend in the amount of people working remotely over the last decade. Even back in 2020, GlobalWorkplaceAnalytics reported that more than 80% of the U.S. workforce expressed an interest in working from home. As the need for remote jobs increase due to lifestyle and societal changes, more and more organizations are finding the benefit of remote work both for the worker and the organization.

Today, National polls indicate that 80-97% of U.S. workers say they will turn down a job if it doesn’t allow them to work remotely at least part of the time (Forbes, 2021; Bloomberg, 2022). As the nation’s workforce shifts to remote work, employers have discovered that neither they nor their employees are equipped for the challenges and opportunities that remote work presents.  

A basic need of humans is to find satisfaction in their work, and it is imperative to equip today’s workforce with tools they need to succeed as society continues to establish the norm of remote work. We created the PACE Model to help standardize  the idea of remote work and stay within the boundaries of best practices to keep their work life locally sourced, sustainable, and enjoyable.

Drawing from the latest research in management, productivity, organizational psychology, technology, and communication, WorkforceRemote.org has developed a robust professional development program to equip your employees and leaders for remote success.   

References

Latest work-at-home/telecommuting/mobile work/remote work statistics. (2020). Global Workplace Analytics.com

Saad, L, & Wigert, B. (2021). Remote work persisting and trending permanent. Gallup.com

Shaw, W. (2022). Just 3% of white collar workers want a full office return. Bloomberg.com