Working From Outside — WFO

Having an outdoor living space is enjoyable for a lot of reasons, particularly for the ways it can benefit our health. What’s most important is that an outdoor living space be made available and accessed daily, even (and especially) during what is considered traditional working hours. This understanding now has its own acronym – WFO, or Work From Outside. The Covid-19 pandemic, computers required to complete job tasks, and the proliferation of Internet access, has lead to an unprecedented increase in the ranks of the remote, at-home worker. Remote work offers employees significant value through enhanced flexibility and autonomy, a better work-life balance, reduced stress, and improved mental and physical well-being. It provides cost and time savings from eliminating commutes and greater access to job opportunities regardless of location. Remote work can also increase output, job satisfaction, and employee loyalty due to a more comfortable, customized work environment and fewer office distractions. Yes, working from outside can enhance worker contentment AND productivity!

Working from Outside:
Confirmed by Scientific Research

Scientific research supports the benefits of remote work for both employees and employers. Studies by organizations like Stanford University, the National Bureau of Economic Research, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics have examined the effects of remote work on productivity, well-being, and organizational outcomes. The findings are nuanced, but the data clearly demonstrate many advantages. According to the cover story of Valley Business Front magazine May 2025 – in which LivingOnThePatio appeared – the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports incredible growth in the remote workforce since the Covid pandemic — as high as 46.5% in some professional sectors and 62.5% in the computer science sector — a substantial increase from the 6.5% average across all industries reported in 2019.

How the Work-world is Being Reshaped

As the way we work continues to evolve, livingonthepatio.com is diving into the world of remote work to better understand how it’s reshaping careers, lifestyles, and communities. Whether you’re logging in from a mountain cabin, juggling time zones across continents, or building new routines from your kitchen table, your experience matters. We want to hear how remote work has changed your life — what’s working, what’s challenging, and what positive or negative unexpected moments have come your way. Share your story with us and help paint a fuller picture of what it really means to work from outside. We hope to share the best ideas about “Working from outside” in the coming weeks, months, and years.

Let’s Hear Your Story About Remote Working

• What type of work do you do? 
• What tools do you use in your work (computers, mechanical tools, creative tools, or other)?
• Where do you work remotely? In a home office, in a backyard office pod, under a gazebo on your patio, at a picnic table, or in any other non-traditional work space — even from an outdoor table at your local coffee shop.
• How do you feel working remotely benefits your attitude toward your work and has it increased your productivity?
• How willing is your employer to allow remote working? 
• Anything else?

Use the “Comment” box below (scroll down) to tell us your story about how you work outdoors — in your outdoor living space regardless of your vocation — so other workers can learn and benefit from your outdoor remote working experience.

And remember, no matter where you work — in an office or preferably in an outdoor space, every day is Friday on the patio!