Work-from-home trend expected to grow more over next decade

TAMPA, Fla. - Joey Guerra is always busy as a project manager for a Tampa-based home remodeling company. He juggles almost all of his work from the comfort of his home office. 

"It’s almost 100% necessary. My wife works in Clearwater. I have two young daughters. I do the drop-off in the morning for school. I pick them up at 3 p.m. from school. I take them to ballet class three days a week."

Twenty-five percent of U.S. employees now work from home at least one day a week. That figure has doubled in the last 20 years. 

Author Scott Mautz says today's employees are craving the up-and-coming benefit.  

"We now know that some people would trade up to 15% of their lifetime income in exchange for a promise that their job would always be flexible," Mautz said. 

Guerra agrees, “You can give me more money on my paycheck, but it’s not going to help me out when I'm picking my daughters up at school."

The work-from-home lifestyle is benefiting employers too. 

"For the worker that works at home five days a week, we are learning it's the equivalent to an extra full day of work during the week. That the extent to which there is garbage in the workplace during the typical week," continued Mautz. 

He says companies with remote employees also report high retention rates, less sick days, and lower rent and hiring costs.

By 2030, Mautz says, as much as a third of the workforce could be working from home. 

"It is a trend that is not going anywhere. It's only going to increase, and I think that's what’s driving it, this deeper need for fulfillment and meaning in our lives."