Pros and cons of working from home

Working from home has both pros and downsides.

Having the ability to work from the comfort of your own home opens up a whole new world of possibilities for enterprises. For example, some businesses have been able to continue their operations while prioritising the health and well-being of their employees and customers as part of their public health responsibilities due to the emergence of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The number of people working from home rose before the coronavirus pandemic because many companies saw the advantages it might bring and the improved work-life balance it could provide to their workers. Workers who have worked for at least 26 weeks have a statutory right to seek flexible working arrangements such as home working, and you, as an employer, must consider such requests.

Benefits of Remote Work for Employees:

Increasing numbers of people are working from home, or at least utilising their house as a base of operations, for at least part of the week, which has several advantages for businesses, including:

Workplace agility and adaptability are enhanced when employees may work from home. A more mobile workforce may be better suited to work shifts that begin or end earlier or later in the day or even on weekends because they are no longer linked to a physical location. If you're doing business with clients in a different time zone, this may be helpful.

Employee retention can be improved due to the flexibility of home working, allowing employees to fulfil childcare obligations, minimise their travel, and fit their work around their personal lives. In addition, employees who are permitted to work from home will feel more trusted by their company, leading to greater employee loyalty.

To attract new employees, you might provide home working as an incentive for them to join your company. Employers who offer working from home get an advantage over those who don't know when it comes to the employment market.

Due to fewer interruptions typically occurring in an office environment. On the other hand, working from home provides a calmer setting that encourages more concentrated work. You may also discover that some employees are willing to work longer hours because they no longer have to travel to and from work.

Workers will feel more trusted by their employers since the working relationship is less tightly monitored, and workers are given a degree of liberty to do their tasks. In addition to making employees happy, establishing a work-from-home schedule that works for them can help drive them to do their very best job.

Employee health and happiness are enhanced since employees no longer have to deal with the burden of commuting to and from work. In addition, employees can reap additional health advantages from time savings like more sleep and time spent with loved ones or exercising or cooking better foods.

Due to these financial advantages, office space, office supplies, utility costs, and other amenities might be saved. To discover if you're entitled to claim back some of your work-related expenditures, visit seek tax relief for your employment expenses - working from home.

As a result of frequent client visits, some of your employees may be absent from the office regularly. Allowing people to work from home might save time and money.

Better work-life balance - Employees who would otherwise have to commute may now utilise that time for themselves, allowing for a more favourable work-life balance to develop. In addition, the flexibility of the workday means that employees may do things like load or unload the dishwasher or prepare supper during their lunch break, allowing them more time to relax in the evenings.

The internet has made it feasible for workers to be connected to the office at all times. Meetings may be more productive and efficient when using tools like Skype, which has made it much simpler for colleagues and teams to communicate.

Staff are more likely to be happier and more invigorated working from home; thus, their immune systems are less likely to be severely influenced by burnout, which means fewer sick days. In addition, compared to an office setting, employees are less likely to get an illness since they work in isolation.

Employees who work from home have several disadvantages.

Even if working from home has its drawbacks, the majority applies to individuals who work from home for most of their workweek:

Some people's personalities and abilities are better suited to traditional office work than others, so working from home is not for everyone. It's possible that some people like the structure and routine of an office job. However, when it comes to completing tasks and reaching goals, some employees prefer face-to-face connections with coworkers and their bosses. Employees with disabilities must also be considered. Because they are working from home, they may not receive the assistance they need to do their duties. Working from home may not be ideal for those who have small children since they may be unable to distinguish between work and play, resulting in constant disruptions. Some people may not have the necessary physical space to build a dedicated workspace.

Individuals who work from home may feel disconnected from their coworkers and the organisation as a whole, which is not the case in an office setting. Employers might take steps to solve this problem by increasing the frequency of communication. As a result, employees are more likely to experience a sense of ownership and belonging if they can participate in frequent team meetings using other technologies like Skype. Having more casual and sociable get-togethers might also be beneficial in combating any feelings of loneliness.

Difficulty supervising and monitoring home workers' performance is a real possibility. Monitoring may have a positive or negative effect on different personalities. There are several ways in which you may recognise and address any difficulties with your employees' performance early on, such as creating objectives and targets that are measurable. See how your crew is doing and how you may better manage your remote workers.

It is possible to get easily distracted by domestic noise or other members of one's family when working from home, even if one is not in an office environment where these kinds of distractions are commonplace.

Work-life balance issues: Instead of having a physical separation between work and personal life, as is the case at an office, employees who work from home may find it challenging to strike a balance. This may cause employees to be unable to switch off from work, resulting in longer hours, higher stress, and eventually burnout. Workers should be reminded of the significance of taking breaks regularly by their employers.

In the beginning, the expense of training and acquiring the necessary equipment, such as computers and mobile phones. Adaptations for health and safety will also be required.

It may be tough to retain and upgrade abilities for employees if they aren't located near each other. As an alternative, you may urge your employees to take advantage of online training opportunities. To get started, use our Events Finder to find out what's going on in your area.

Working from home increases the danger of a breach in an organisation's information security. Laptops being brought home and the requirement for remote server access increasing the threat. Data on corporate devices should be encrypted and remotely wiped if they are lost or stolen by employers, who should make sure to do so. Using a virtual private network, you may visit a remote computer safely and securely via the internet. This aids in the security of your files and data while making it available to your employees. See the section on IT security and the dangers it poses.

Stress - If your employees have difficulty separating work and family life or are feeling lonely, making the transition to working from home may harm their mental health. Set up a designated work area and establish limits for other home members to assist your staff build a working pattern. Regular talks and team catch-ups might help your employees feel more connected to one another. When incorporated into a regular schedule, a healthy diet and regular exercise can assist boost mental health as well. The NHS has put up a list of seven basic tips for working from home.

Employee morale might suffer when people work from home on their own, making it more difficult to sustain team spirit.

Working from home isn't appropriate for every profession; specific jobs are better suited to remote work than others. In addition, some people's personalities are more suited to working from home than others. It's possible that some people would prefer to communicate with their coworkers in person.

It's important to keep in mind that depending on where your employees reside, and they may not have access to internet speeds fast enough to accomplish their jobs. For example, in rural areas, broadband is frequently unbearably slow.

Employers that may not have previously regarded working from home as an option for their workers because of the coronavirus pandemic have gained a practical understanding of how it affects their business and employees. Employers may now see for themselves the benefits and drawbacks of remote employment. Furthermore, employers may gain a lot from this knowledge when figuring out the best ways to run their organisation.