At Stanford, they call it the new “working-from-home economy”—one featuring “an incredible 42% of the labor force working from home full-time.” The latest Gallup survey finds 58% working at home at least some of the time. St. Cloud workers who count themselves among the 51% who prefer remote work “because it improves work-life balance” will also be in sync with their employers. According to Digital Workplace’s estimate, firms that offer remote work report having a “25% lower employee turnover rate.”

For those who might be dubious about flexjobs.com’s contention that 75% of employees “are less distracted at home,” Atlassian, a developer of team productivity software, offers some common-sense confirmation: “Seventy-six percent prefer to avoid the office when they need to concentrate on an important task.”

Naturally, the rising tide of St. Cloud home workers creates a corresponding surge in the need for St. Cloud home workplaces—areas fully or partially given over to business activity. We have already seen an increase in the interest that prospective buyers are expressing (and Realtor^® Magazine predicts that home offices “will become a hot amenity for the long term”).

All this points to at least one wrinkle that hasn’t as yet been given much attention: workplace safety. The requirement for things like smoke detectors, adequate lighting and ventilation, and unobstructed walkways are second nature to human resource professionals—but few St. Cloud home workers have probably given them much thought. The immediate need for a strong Wi-Fi connection and comfortable seating are more likely to have drawn their attention. Yet, according to the government’s telework.gov website, ensuring workplace safety is the remote worker’s responsibility. Given the number of hours now being spent in St. Cloud home offices, that is worth treating seriously.

It’s my job to track the latest ins and outs of the everchanging St. Cloud home marketplace—and to share them with my buying and selling clients. Do call!

roviding a superior level of informed, professional real estate services to buyers and sellers throughout Central Minnesota. We have agents specializing in residential, commercial, multifamily, new construction, existing, investment properties, foreclosures/REO, and short sales with offices located in:

Five Office Locations To Serve YOU!

Saint Cloud 320-259-4554
Princeton 320-983-3555
Maple Grove 763-565-2000
Hutchinson 320-455-9127
Litchfield 320-298-1140

Premier Real Estate specializes MANY areas around Central MN including Saint Cloud, Waite Park, Rice, Royalton, Sartell, Royalton, Little Falls, Cold Spring, Saint Joseph, Elk River, Monticello, Ramsey, Saint Michael, Andover, Ham Lake, Anoka, Champlin, Buffalo, Glencoe, Brownton, Silver Lake, Kandiyohi, Dassel, Minneapolis, Maple Grove, Saint Louis Park, Saint Paul, Robbinsdale, Crystal, New Hope, Brooklyn Center and more!