More U.S. Companies to Allow Remote Working

Forty-three percent of U.S. businesses said they expect to allow more employees to work remotely in the next year, according to a global workplace study from Condeco Software. More than half (54%) of U.S. companies said they offer remote working to increase employee retention.

Only 9% of companies indicated that they will offer less remote working, according to the study.

Condeco interviewed 750 corporate leaders in six countries for the “The Modern Workplace 2019: People, Places & Technology” study. They called the findings, “a clear indicator that remote working is a major trend in America.”

Condeco looked at digital transformation in the workplace across a number of areas, including meeting-room trends, adapting the physical workplace for efficiency, and flexible working hours.

The study found 49% of U.S. employers allow workers to set their own hours. More Australian companies allow remote work than companies of any other country (45%). The U.S. is second at 43%, followed by Germany (35%). Singapore companies were most likely to offer flextime (66%).

“Today’s technology allows for space to be used more flexibly and for employees to work remotely. This benefits businesses by maximizing office space, reducing costs, and keeping employees engaged and productive,” Condeco chief executive officer Paul Statham said.

The study found the use of meeting-room space was a “consistent point of organizational tension” with only 23% of those surveyed saying employees had access to meeting rooms whenever they needed them. The survey found some companies saw an opportunity to use artificial intelligence to book and use meeting rooms more efficiently.

Condeco said 60% of the survey respondents expressed concern at the speed that new technologies were reshaping their businesses. Companies were increasingly concerned with issues around cloud computing, big data, and the internet of things, Condeco said.

The study said, over the next five years, respondents expected automation and big data to grow in importance and overtake the internet of things.