Why Boomers have Millennials to thank for remote work

Why Boomers have Millennials to thank for remote workWhy Boomers have Millennials to thank for remote workFor many people, the thought ofa company that prioritizes remote workinspires a certain type of vision- and, its 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 Deloittes 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.Tha ts right- boomers (and all of us) have millennials to thank for remote work.But, heres the question that still loomsDo boomers really feel all that appreciative of the remote work phenomenon?Arent boomers the generation who prefers to clock in and clock out at a traditional office day after day?Thats the perception, but the reality might surprise you. Studies show that its actuallyolder 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 thatemployees who are 65 or beyond are 1.7 times more likely skip the office and telecommutethan an average employee is.Baby boomers generally have far less to prove, may be less focused on career advancement, and dont 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 anarticle for the Huffington Post.So, it seems that while millennials might have been the ones pushing and advocating for remote work options, its the older generations who are enjoying it most.Regardless, one thing is for sureremote work brings along of heap of benefits that apply to all generations.From reducing distractions andboosting productivityto 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.This article was originally published on Flexjobs.com.