Benefits of Remote Work

 Remote Work Arrangement is a Business Strategy Contributing to:

• Operational Resilience:  Comfort with remote work can lead to the ability to better shift and navigate difficult situations such as weather events, fire, cyberattacks and public health emergencies.

• Improved Adoption of Technology:  Embracing the technology allows us to adapt to the changing needs of the customer.  Many units have discovered an advantage in using the technology they may have been hesitant to use before the decision was forced due to COVID-19.

• Attraction and Retention of a Diverse, Inclusive, Knowledgeable Workforce From an Expanded Talent Pool:  The global pandemic has opened remote work as a tangible option.  Most knowledge workers expect a certain degree of remote work.  Studies support the notion of greater attraction and retention of employees who are granted remote work option.

• Encouragement of Innovation, Collaboration and Communication:  Remote work keeps organizations from stagnation.

• Increased Productivity, Engagement and Well-being:  Remote work provides the opportunity for greater intrinsic motivation in work and the ability to better manage the competing demands of work and home, leading to less conflict, stress and anxiety.

Benefits

For many employees — and employers — flexibility is a new part of the compensation package and is a powerful tool in terms of employee engagement, retention, and recruiting. Remote and flexible schedules not only provide employees with job satisfaction, better health, increased work-life fit, and less stress, but they also benefit employers through higher productivity levels, decreased turnover, and reduced absenteeism. Remote work options support the recruitment and retention of a diverse workforce, are a key element of our commitment to equity and inclusion, and are an integral component for innovation. This flexibility offers numerous benefits for employees and the University, ultimately enabling us to better serve our mission.

Benefits to the University

• Increase employee engagement, productivity and retention
• Remote work arrangements are highly sought after by employees.
• The vast majority of the feedback we received from the "Best Places to Work" survey  indicated that NJIT employees want the option of remote work to continue post-pandemic.
• Flexible arrangements lead to: reduced turnover costs, fewer absences/sick days, improved employee health, morale, engagement, and satisfaction, particularly among historically marginalized communities.

Broaden the pool of available talent

• Remote work arrangements have become a“must have” in our competition to hire the best available talent.
• Remote work gives employers the option to hire from across the country and thereby increase the diversity and talent of the applicant pool.
• We can more readily hire part-time, semi-retired, disabled, or homebound workers, increasing diversity of thought and skills.

 Use workspace more efficiently and save money

• The University can optimize its use of limited on-campus work spaces and parking by offering remote work opportunities.
• Remote work can help defer the cost of some otherwise required abatement or improvement projects until the budget stabilizes.

 Contribute to sustainability goals

• Remote work opportunities can be used to reduce our carbon footprint by eliminating vehicle trips to University locations.

Benefits to Employees

• Reduction in commute time, costs, and associated stress, leading to more time to manage other parts of life more efficiently, causing less work-life conflict.
• Ability to balance work and home life more easily (e.g., being able to schedule doctor, repair, and other significant appointments during the workweek).
• Increased opportunity to exercise and eat healthily, leading to better health.
• Ability to work when you are most productive.
• Ability to work when and where you have fewer distractions.
• Ability to live in lower-cost areas without sacrificing time to commute.