#LoveThyLabor: Embracing the realities of a remote workforce

As we continue to try to forecast what a return to normalcy looks like for companies and agencies, one thing is for sure: increasingly, the future workforce will work from many different places.

Freeman+Leonard has always been at the forefront of redefining traditional office work spaces, as we ourselves have been an early adopter and promoter of marketing and advertising talent whose engagements haven’t necessarily allowed or required an in-office presence. (Our own team also permanently made the shift to a fully-remote workplace.)

Forbes has released a new study documenting the expectations and realities of this new generation of labor: 

• 74% of professionals expect work-from-home to become standard
• 97% of employees don’t want to return to the office full-time
• 61% of employees prefer being fully remote

If you’re reimagining how to structure and motivate an increasingly remote team, feel free to give me or anyone at Freeman+Leonard a call. We’ve been staffing and structuring remote resources and teams for years, and have picked up a few tips and tricks along the way. 

We also recommend checking out Remote Work Revolution by Tsedal Neely. This book discusses how to build trust and connection with employees who work from afar. It contains some truly great advice and blueprints on how to structure and engage with your teams when fewer are in the same space as you are.

? Suggestion on how YOU can Love Thy Labor:

As employees spend more and more time working from their homes, many find that they lack certain amenities that they previously had in traditional office settings. Whether they’re now skipping lunches, engaging in fewer conversations, navigating new technologies required for communications, or simply finding comfort in a makeshift office, employees today are looking for ways to reimagine their own home offices. 

One way you might help your teams design better ways to work from home is to provide small comforts that enhance the feng shui of their new spaces. The House Plant Box is a plant subscription service that allows recipients to experience different natural touches to any home office, providing calming and relaxing stimuli to those transitioning their work realities.

For more ideas on how to show your workers the love, head to freemanleonard.com/lovethylabor.

We look forward to your feedback and your own suggestions on how we all can extend our recognition and dedication beyond a single day each year.