Modern professionals are now able to move to wherever they fancy as they can now work remotely. 42 % of American workers who previously did not telecommute are now doing so. Remote or off-grid work is the future of work as we know it, and this has led to significant changes in the world of work. These have been a mixed bag of change, some good and some not so positive.

Relocation to specific areas

Remote work means that workers or employees are able to choose exactly where they want to live. If you can be in the office in several minutes from your bedroom, then where you live becomes increasingly important. There are still those remote jobs that are geographically specific, but most remote work allows workers to be freed from the limitations of geographic location.

For some, there is still the need to go into the office on a regular basis, and the range of their move out of the big smoke is thus restricted, but for those for whom distance is not an option, there have been some big cross country moves.

Colorado tops the list of places remote workers have begun to move into. The draw cards seem to be the connectivity, tech support, lifestyle, and the weather. There are others like the music city, Nashville, where ‘remoters’ have flocked to in their thousands. This has changed the way business works in these receiving cities. Several large organizations have also begun to provide remote or managed services in these locations to support their workforce wherever they are. So, for example, local IT businesses, hr consulting nashville, and numerous others have seen significant financial impact as they are used to cater to the needs of remote workers new to the area. This has taken managed services or the consulting sector to the next level, and they too are operating remotely, and a trend has started where all sized businesses are able to follow their workers to some extent to ensure that they are supported and able to sustain the increases in productivity that remote work has seen.

Increased gender equity

No longer do women have to take the back seat to men in regard to pursuing a career as they focus on the family. Both men and women are now essentially at home, and as such, there is more time for both to contribute to homemaking. Women have also found that there is a greater understanding of the pressures of working from home. As more people are now engaged in this form of work, more of us out there know what it means to have children, pets and chores all crying out for your attention just as you log on to start work. It is a shared understanding such as this that has led to an increase in gender equity.

The opportunity for increased gender equality from remote working is massive. The biggest flexibility from remote work is how it allows mothers with young children to progress in the workplace while balancing their caring responsibilities.

Less Stress

There is less stress for many remote or off-grid workers as soon as you remove the physical commute. Spending several hours each day just getting to the office has been the norm. This is a stressful experience for many, and sitting in traffic or stuck on the subway in rush hour is not anyone’s idea of a relaxed working day. With a better work life balance, those who work from home are able to prioritize their workday around their family responsibilities to a great extent, as long as they are meeting their KPIs and targets.

With over 80% of business leaders expecting remote work to continue even after the current pandemic, it is a production model here to stay. It is thus important for your business to understand the changes that this will bring about. These are changes not just to the business itself, but to the entire world of work, and that will have an impact on the country as a whole.

It must be remembered that the relocation of remote workers will not be driven by a unified requirement. Some will look to move to the highest US-ranked cities to live in, such as Portland Maine, a coastal city with great natural attractions and has been an all-time top city to live in for a long time. Moves such as these are made for a better quality of life. Yet there are others that will move to be closer to family and these moves will have randomness to them that cannot be interrogated. Lastly, there is a category of remote workers who seem to have considered where the best place to work from is,  and this entails looking for the best connectivity and IT support.

The ultimate move or relocation for remote workers then seems to be where they can unify as many needs a possible. Colorado and Portland, for example, have both proven to meet several of the requirements as mentioned in that these are cities noted for their quality of life, outdoor spaces, and nature, while also being tech and start-up meccas. With Portland rated the 5th best city to start a business in and with a climate particularly suited to women entrepreneurs. Cities such as these have a balance of business and tech support and know-how and an open outdoor lifestyle with great weather and proven quality of life.

Remote work has begun to change the face of American business forever, and as this happens, it is also beginning to have an impact on the fabric of society. No longer do people need to move closer to the office or within a decent and acceptable commuting radius. Remote workers will be able to move where they want to, and as a business, it is incumbent on you to be able to anticipate some of these moves and plan ahead to see if you can provide support in these far-flung locations that will serve to keep your remote workers productive and involved.