Which camp do you belong to — the one where employers believe work-from-home employees are watching cat videos on company time or the one where they are diligently working in a quiet environment and enjoy making their own fresh coffee?

Many employees prefer coming into the office, separating personal and professional lives, but many others feel more empowered and productive when working from the comfort of home.

With the rise of the work-at-home force, more studies are being conducted surrounding the effectiveness of employees who keep office hours at home. Many of these studies suggest that work-from-home environments offer less stress, boost morale and increase productivity for employees. A Remote environment also offers an opportunity to save time and money for the employer, with technology making working from home just as efficient as time in the office.

Still not sure if you should opt for employees in the remote camp? Check out these seven reasons to let employees work from home:

1. Increase Work Morale and Reduce Employee Stress

Is work-life balance a myth? Give your employees the gift of a real work-life balance by letting them work from home, either full-time or as needed.

Research provides evidence for lowered stress levels, reduced absenteeism and higher morale for remote workers. One study noted that 82 percent of remote workers have lowered stress levels, which also reduces absenteeism. The study also indicated that 80 percent of these remote workers had an increased work morale — which makes these employees less likely to leave their jobs.

2. Improve Employee Productivity

Besides increased happiness and work morale, employees also tend to be more productive when they’re allowed to work from home. According to one survey, 91 percent of telecommuters say they get more done when working remotely than in-office. Roughly half of these employees are directly in contact with a supervisor at least once a day, which is good since communication does become more critical with a work-from-home force.

Additionally, employees may be able to work more hours when they’re at their peak. For example, if employees are more productive as night owls, you may be able to accommodate that in certain industries. Your employees will emerge happier, more productive and more engaged as a remote employee.

3. Create an Eco-Friendlier Environment

Remote workers may get up and ready as if they were coming to office, or they may wear pajamas and head right for the coffee. Either way, the work still gets done — and they don’t have to worry about wasting gas or paper, which minimizes their environmental impact.

Home-office employees also control environmental choices, such as recycling paper and upcycling furniture for their home office. Therefore, making the telecommuting choice for your employees means you’re also going green.

4. Reduce Overall Operation Costs

Whether you have a corporate headquarters or not, hiring a remote work force allows you to reduce the money you’re using on square footage. While IBM may be going against the telework trend currently, when 40 percent of its employees were remote in 2009, the company was saving roughly $100 million annually as well as 78 million square feet of operating space. Employers can also reduce office space by utilizing open floor plans and balancing out which employees take work-from-home days when.

Besides saving space, money is also saved on the little company perks, like snacks, gym memberships and parties. In return, the company invests more in its employees. This money could be used to offer employees a higher wage or bigger perks, such as an annual company weekend away to team build in the mountains or overseas.

5. Eliminate the Commute

One of the most stressful aspects of a work day is getting from point A to point B. Reckless, ignorant or angry drivers risk the safety of the employee, while traffic jams and inconveniences boost their stress levels. With the typical American commuting 25.4 minutes and 52 wasted delay hours per year in urban areas, commuter stress doesn’t pay off in the end. It affects employee satisfaction on the job and personal relationships.

Not having to commute returns time to the employee to spend with family and cultivate self-care. It also returns money and employable hours to the company. Stress-free and happy employees have higher job satisfaction, which reduces their chances of quitting — and your company won’t have wasted the hours and funds investing in the employee.

6. Get Rid of Location Restrictions to Hire the Best

With kids in school, a great neighborhood and other intrinsic connections, many prospective employers feel torn between better employment options and their existing environment. Location restriction and lack of relocation coverage often leaves employers limited to a small application pool.

When you eliminate location restriction, you’re enabling your company to hire the best talent. Make the choice to open up relevant positions to a remote option, and watch the applications pour in.

7. Increase Technological Effectiveness

Many job duties are already heavily reliant on technology — taking phone calls, answering customer queries via email and in forums, writing, designing, coding, scanning, faxing and more. Additionally, utilizing current technology effectively can increase the overall efficiency of the entire company. For instance, assignment management is easy with online tools like Basecamp, making team collaboration a snap. Some tools even allow you to track employee progress on the clock in real time.

For those in administrative, customer service or telecommunication industries, employees can easily forward calls to cell phones, especially with the growth of Android devices. They’re the most frequently used platform for mobile phones and tablets at a 78 percent market share. Rather than worrying about computer software updates, some apps quickly do similar jobs just as effectively and are instantly updated.

The Rise of the Remote Employee

Technological developments are making it easier for remote workers to excel in their roles, from taking calls to sharing documents with clients and employers.

The odds are in favor of employers joining the work-from-home camp, with reduced operation costs, increased employee morale, reduced employee stress and the ability to hire the best, to say the least.

Telecommuters are found in nearly every industry, from tech to creative. When outlining a policy for partial or total work from home, every company will differ in its work style preferences. It will be important to take employee personalities and positions into consideration as well.

Studies show, though, that when you make the remote choice, your employees will emerge happier and more engaged, leading to higher chances of your company being an outstanding competitor who retains its employees and outperforms on a global scale.