Boomer thanking a millennial for remote work

Why Boomers Have Millennials to Thank for Remote Work

For many people, the thought of a company that prioritizes remote work inspires a certain type of vision—and, it’s probably something like this: young people tapping away on their laptops in trendy coffee shops, with their headphones over their ears and steaming lattes by their sides.

Yes, millennials have definitely become the face of remote work, and for valid reason.

The younger generation has a strong desire for improved work-life balance, which has led them to seek employers that provide the freedom to fit work into their lives, rather than the other way around. In Deloitte’s “Millennial Survey 2018,” flexibility ranks as the third most important thing millennials consider when evaluating an employer—behind only pay and culture.

Needless to say, in order to stay competitive and attract the young talent they really want, companies have had no choice but to meet that growing demand.

That’s right—boomers (and all of us!) have millennials to thank for remote work.

But, here’s the question that still looms: Do boomers really feel all that appreciative of the remote work phenomenon? Aren’t boomers the generation who prefers to clock in and clock out at a traditional office day after day?

That’s the perception, but the reality might surprise you. Studies show that it’s actually older employees who work from home the most.

According to our FlexJobs and Global Workplace Analytics report, “The State of Telecommuting in the U.S. Employee Workforce,” the average telecommuter is actually older than the average employee.

In fact, the older an employee gets, the greater the chances that they opt to telecommute. Our study shows that employees who are 65 or beyond are 1.7 times more likely skip the office and telecommute than an average employee is.

“Baby boomers generally have far less to prove, may be less focused on career advancement, and don’t see any great benefit to putting in more face time than necessary—especially if it means they have to sit in rush-hour traffic or wear uncomfortable shoes to get there,” explains Ann Brenoff in an article for the Huffington Post.

So, it seems that while millennials might have been the ones pushing and advocating for remote work options, it’s the older generations who are enjoying it most.

Regardless, one thing is for sure: remote work brings along of heap of benefits that apply to all generations.

From reducing distractions and boosting productivity to increasing engagement and curtailing turnover, we think perks like these are enough to convince employers that remote work is here to stay.

Seriously, thanks for that, fellow millennials.

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