With increasing numbers of employees working at home - it's clear there are a number of?benefits for business, as follow
- Flexibility and agility?- This enables more agility and flexibility in working arrangements. With employees no longer tied to an office, they may be better placed and more willing to work flexible hours such as earlier or later in the day or even at weekends. This may help you meet certain business needs.
- Improved employee retention?- Working from home can?offer assistance?hold?workers?as the?adaptability?of?home working can?offer the assistance?they meet childcare needs,?decrease?their commute, and?empower?them to fit their work around their?individual?life. Being?permitted?to work from?home, staff will?too?feel?expanded?levels of?belief?from their?manager, which can contribute?enormously?to staff?devotion.
- Attract new talent?- home working can be?advertised?as a?motivation?to come and work for you?making a difference?for you to?pull in?the unused?ability?to your?trade.?Indeed?fair?advertising?the?choice?to work from?home will?deliver?you an advantage?within the?work?advertise?over competitors that?do not?offer?home working as an?alternative?to their staff.
- Increased productivity?- due to fewer interruptions, which would normally occur in an office environment. By contrast, working from home allows for a quieter environment that can facilitate more focused work. You may also find that employees will work longer hours as they can also use their time saved from commuting to start work earlier, later or both.
- Increased staff motivation?- by working from home staff will feel more trusted by their employer as the working relationship isn't as closely monitored and employees are allowed a degree of autonomy to get on with their work. Staff will also be happier developing a home working routine that suits them better and this can contribute towards them feeling more motivated to give their best.
- Improved staff health and wellbeing?- working from home eliminates the need for a commute to work that can be stressful to your employees. Time savings such as this also enable staff to get extra health benefits such as additional sleep, spending more time with family, exercising or preparing healthier meals.
- Financial benefits?- savings on office space, office supplies, utility bills, and other facilities. Staff may also be able to take advantage of the tax relief available from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) for working from home
- Convenience?- you may have staff that do a lot of visits to customer locations and are therefore not regularly in the office. Allowing them to base themselves from home may be more convenient and leads to further time and costs savings.
- Better work/life balance?- working from home can help employees improve their work-life balance eg staff that would have had to commute will now be able to use that time for themselves giving the basis for a better work-life balance. Staff is also able to fit in household chores around their working day giving them more free time in the evenings eg loading or unloading the dishwasher or preparing dinner on their lunch break.
- Technology makes it easier?- the?web?has made it?conceivable?for staff to be?ceaselessly?associated?with the office.?Devices?such as Skype have made communication between colleagues and?groups?much?simpler?and at times can lead to more?proficient?and?successful?meetings.
- Fewer sickness absences?– staff are more likely to feel happier and more energized working from home and therefore less chance of their immune system is negatively impacted by burnout. Also fact that employees are working in isolation there is less chance of infections spreading as would be the case within an office environment.
- Less need for regular holidays?-?working from home can feel like a break from the office even though the staff is still working. Working from home staff will feel more energized and will be able to spend more time with their family and therefore will not feel the need to take as much leave. However, it is your duty as an employer to ensure staff takes their holidays
In spite of the fact that?there are?a few?drawbacks?to?workers?working at?home, most of these relate to those working from?home for all, as?restricted?to?portion, of their working week:
- Working from home doesn't suit everyone?- working from home might not be suited to everyone's personality or ability. Some employees might prefer the routine and structure that working in an office environment provides them. Some staff may prefer personal interaction with colleagues and also find face-to-face guidance with their manager extremely beneficial in helping them complete tasks and achieve their goals. You also need to be mindful of employees with a disability. Working from home may have a negative impact on the support they need to do their job. Working from home may also not fit in with everyone's home-life eg some people may have young children that may be unaware of boundaries and cause interruptions during the working day. Others may not have the physical space required to create a suitable dedicated working area.
- Staff feeling isolated?- individuals working from home may feel a disconnect from their colleagues and organization as a whole that an office environment naturally allows. To address this issue employers could ensure that communication is more regular. So by scheduling quick catch-ups by phone or regular team meetings through other technologies like Skype, staff are given more opportunities to feel involved and part of the team. More informal and social?catch-ups would also help counteract any feelings of isolation.
- Difficulty monitoring performance?- there could be difficulty managing home workers and monitoring their performance. Different personalities may also?respond to monitoring with varying degrees of positivity. You could look at setting goals and targets with workers that are easily measured so that if their targets aren't?being met you can identify and remedy any performance issues at an early stage.
- Home distractions?- although home working removes the distractions that may occur in the office if a worker doesn't have a suitably quiet dedicated working space at home they may get easily distracted by household noises or other members of their household.
- Potential burnout?- where an office provides a clear physical distinction between work and home life, working at home can lead to staff forgetting to differentiate between work-life and home-life. This may lead to employees finding it difficult to know when to switch off from work leading to longer hours, increased stress, and inevitable burnout. Employers should encourage their staff to take regular breaks and remind them of the importance to take their leave.
- Cost of working from home? Beginning?costs of?preparing?and?giving?reasonable?gear?such as?tablets,?portable?phones, and other IT?gear.?You may?moreover?consider?adjustments?to meet?wellbeing?and?security?measures.
- Problems with staff development?- you may find that not having staff in close physical proximity leads to difficulty in maintaining staff development and upgrading skills. However, you could encourage staff to take the opportunity to learn new skills through online events and courses.
- Information security risk?- information security problems could be more likely to occur when staff is working from home. There is an increased risk with laptops being taken home and the need for staff to access servers remotely. Employers should ensure they put measures in place to protect company data by installing encryption software and remote-wipe apps if mobile devices provided by you go missing. Virtual private networks also encrypt your data and provide secure access to a remote computer over the internet. This helps keep your files and data secure yet accessible to your staff.
- Negative impact on mental health?- the switch to working from home may have a negative impact on your worker’s mental health if they are unable to find a routine that works for them, are struggling to separate work and home life or are feeling isolated. To help you can encourage your employees to develop a working routine, set up a dedicated workspace, and set boundaries for other household members. Create more opportunities for staff?to stay connected by communicating through regular chats and team catch-ups. Eating healthily and taking regular exercise can also help improve mental health especially when woven into a regular routine.
- Decreased staff morale?- it can be harder to maintain team spirit when employees are working at home on their own.
- Not all jobs suit home working?- working from home suits some jobs better than others. Equally, working from home suits some personality types but not others. Some people may prefer colleague contact by face-to-face communication.
- Poor broadband speeds?- you should be mindful that depending on where your staff lives they may not be able to access broadband speeds that enable them to do their job effectively eg rural broadband is often very slow.?
