The working world changed the moment the pandemic began in March 2020. One of the biggest ways that things had changed in the working world was the way that people didn’t have to go to an office anymore. For years, those who campaigned for more flexible working environments and who were rejected on that basis found that they are more than capable of working from home since the pandemic began. 

The one positive from the pandemic has been that working from home is now the norm. More and more people are asking for remote work and flexibility when they are applying for jobs and they know that it’s possible to do it because we spent two years in and out of lockdowns and working from home. Employers can no longer say they don’t have the capability to do it because we’ve seen it in action. As long as you have a VPN to keep things private and you know the best ad blocker for safari, you are more than capable of working from home with ease. So, why should you still ask for this when you are applying for jobs? Well come on let’s take a look at some of the top reasons below.

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• Reduced commute time. Those two hours or more round trips that you used to commute to work every day are now given back to you. Instead of leaving the house at 7:00 in the morning to be able to get to the office by 9:00 and then leaving at 5:00 to get home by 7:30, you now just have to go to your desk in your home or wherever as you happen to work. This has given you back considerable amounts of time to either enjoy a leisurely breakfast or a workout, indulge in hobbies, or spend more time with your family. You couldn’t have done that before, and it’s such a huge benefit of being able to work from home.
• A better work and life balance. Speaking of having your time back, it’s far more balanced to work from home than it is to work from an office these days. Because you have less time commuting, you don’t have to feel so burnt out all the time. An 8 hour work day becomes an 11 hour work day when you have to travel, so maybe it means sleeping in a little more each day or giving yourself the chance to go to the gym. Either way, you retain more balance and you’ll be able to enjoy the fact that you have some of your money back, too because you no longer have to worry about paying out for your commute every day.
• You reduce your carbon footprint. Whether you were driving to work or you were getting the bus or train, you’ll be able to reduce that carbon footprint when you work from home. This also means that you get to pay less for car insurance, and because many car insurance slashed their premiums during the pandemic, you’ll be able to see that there are huge benefits from working from home. Driving less is one of the best benefits of it, and your car insurance costs and your petrol costs will reflect that. It’s a good way to be sustainable in your cost cutting exercise, because you’re not commuting anymore.
• You reduce your stress. Workplace stress can actually be the most difficult kind of stress to deal with. You don’t have to worry about being late for work anymore, and you don’t have to worry about being in an environment with people who don’t inspire you. Let’s be honest, not everybody likes their coworkers or gets along with them. Being hemmed in in an office space every single day just reminds you of school.
• Freedom of expression. If you are somebody who loves to work in their pyjamas, then working from home is going to be so much easier because you really can’t wear your pyjamas to the office. That’s not to say that people haven’t tried before, of course, but you don’t have to be that person who worries about whether people are going to judge you for your fashion sense. You get to have total freedom of expression and that means feeling like you are doing something comfortable and fun for your job rather than feeling like you have to get dressed up and act professional when you really don’t reflect that in your personality.
• No Home Office? No stress. One of the best things about working from home is the flexibility of your location. If you don’t have a Home Office or a desk you can always take yourself to the nearest cafe. You could even take yourself to the park if it means that you can get some work done. That flexibility can make you feel much more free in a job.