Is being an office or remote employee (working from home) better? Even after COVID-19 taught many of us to love working from home, it remains a polarizing question.
Bosses who want employees back in the office often cite the unique collaborations you can only get when employees are physically near each other.
Employees who prefer working from home say they can get more done without the interruptions and politics of being in an office.
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Now you can add one more point in favor of working from home: It could help the planet.
The more greenhouse gas emissions get released into our atmosphere, the hotter our planet is going to get ― and the more disastrous consequences that could have for our future.
That’s why reducing carbon emissions on an individual and society level is so important.
Using government surveys on energy consumption and Microsoft employee data, researchers have found that employees who worked from home full-time reduced their emissions by more than half of what workers in an office are able to do.
The study also found that even just a few days at home in hybrid arrangements could have an environmental impact. It’s mainly because of the transportation emissions from commutes and energy use in office spaces that at-home employees avoided, the study found.
Office buildings are a major contributor to overall emissions. According to a 2019 International Energy Agency report, the buildings and construction sector accounted for 36% of final energy use and 39% of energy and process-related carbon dioxide emissions.
“Remote workers tend to make fewer trips to the office. Those who adopt remote or hybrid work arrangements have the opportunity to share office space, thereby effectively reducing the carbon footprint associated with office buildings, which includes heating, air conditioning, and ventilation,” the study’s co-author Fengqi You of Cornell University, said.
How often do you need to WFH to see a difference?
Working from home just one day per week reduced employees’ carbon footprint by about 2%, however working from home two or four days per week cut emissions by up to 29% when compared to office workers.
You stated that this is due to the fact that merely one day of working from home reduces emissions from commuting. It’s also due to the energy loss that might occur when an office building only has one workstation area.
“For remote or hybrid workers who do not maintain a dedicated desk, but instead share desk space with others, the need for office space can be effectively reduced, significantly lowering the carbon footprint,” You said.
“However, if a remote or hybrid worker keeps a dedicated desk and office space, the reduction in emissions from office building energy use would be minimal, as the sharing effect is not utilized.”
