⏱ US remote workers save 55 minutes commuting every day

Good Afternoon,

There were a lot of clickbait articles about Elon Musk switching his views on remote work last week. Don’t buy into them.

The articles came about simply because Twitter closed its Seattle office, which means Seattle employees have to work remotely.

Unless Musk starts publicly evangelizing remote work, I trust he still holds his stance that he wants most employees in-office.

Need to know

Remote work saves US workers 55 minutes each day

A study released last week shows that, on average, remote workers in the US save 55 minutes of commute time for each day they work. This number is even larger internationally; the average across the globe was 72 minutes of commute time saved daily.

And what do these people do with their new time? 40% of workers spent time working on their primary or secondary jobs, 34% of workers put it towards leisure activities, and 11% used the extra time for caregiving.

This study ranks all 50 states by tax policies for remote workers

The National Taxpayers Union Foundation used five factors, such as filing thresholds and reciprocity agreements, to determine the states with the best and worst policies for remote workers. In this study, the policies specifically apply to individuals who work primarily in one state, but live in another.

The nine states with no income tax are tied at #1, and the remaining states are ranked and color-coded by their scores. (Green reflects a higher rank, and red indicates lower.)

What great remote managers do differently

This article from Harvard Business Review in late 2022 discusses a new concept to help remote managers: “micro-understanding.”

It teaches managers to integrate themselves into their team’s workflow and problem solving efforts remotely, but to ensure they are enabling their team without being “enforcers.”

It also highlights that while presenteeism, the need to show face time at work, is often assumed to be necessary for productivity, numerous studies have dispelled that notion and shown remote workers are frequently more productive away from an office.

Another point they mention is that remote work lacks opportunities for spontaneous connection and coaching; these need to be created.

The best managers consistently look for new ways to creatively connect and build relationships in lieu of random conversations in an office setting.

Elsewhere

• Remote layoffs become harsh reality (LinkedIn)

• Why athletes (and some remote workers) owe a “jock tax” wherever they go (The Hustle)

• How to ask to work remotely full time (US News)

• 12 countries with easy digital nomad visas (Goats on the Road)

• Remote workers increase demand for co-working spaces (Marketplace)

Another relevant benefit of working from home: not forcing yourself to commute in questionable weather.

For those of you in colder cities, be safe out there this time of year!

Cheers,
Grant