Is working From Home a Long Term Option?

More Employers are looking at home working as the future and investing in Home Office Solutions for Employees'.

The number of us working from home is now vast. Many businesses and individuals made that decision to work from home a long time before the Pandemic. Many of these decisions were made for operational reasons as well as to reduce costs. The Pandemic has seen so many more of us forced to work from home and it has seen some pretty interesting results.

Employers and employees will have found some real benefits from working from home and these include:

• increased productivity
• a healthier work-life balance
• improved job satisfaction
• Reduced Business Costs
• Improved Profits

Increased productivity has happened as a direct result of less travel time to and from work. Many employees, rather than starting work at the normal time that they would arrive at work, are using the travel time to start work earlier and finish later. The reduced travel can also directly impact on job satisfaction and wellbeing as it reduces the hassle of travel and the cost of travel. Now, once work is finished, you really can relax straight away or spend precious time with family, as you are already at home.

Those individuals that are really seeing the benefit of working from home have a dedicated room at the home that is an office set-up, a place to go to work. A place that has limited distractions, that is your place of work only, where you shut the door and you are in work mode.

Those that strike that work-life balance are those that have kept work and home separate by opting for a Garden Office or Studio. It gives them a place to go to work, away from "home" with a very short commute!

Many organisations are now looking at the benefits of keeping their employees working from home long term. Many organisations that did not feel it as possible to operate in this way are reviewing their operations. They are looking hard at the reality that productivity, wellbeing and job satisfaction have improved or not been affected by us working from home. Many organisations have or are investing in Garden Offices for their employees now as an alternative to coming into the office or hijacking a room within a home. Whether it is short- or long-term strategy, employers and employees are investing or contributing to the investment in home offices. For a lot of businesses, the cost of investing in this is far less than the running of an office premises, the travel costs to and from an office and the reduced productivity.

Employees may wish to continue to work from home for some or all of the week after their workplaces fully reopen, or they may want to work flexibly in other ways. Employees can make an informal request for flexible working, or if eligible, make a formal request. Employers should encourage conversations around all flexible working arrangements and carefully consider which jobs can be done flexibly. They should also work with the employee to find a solution that works for both.

Working with an employee to find that solution that is mutually beneficial to both is important and most employers now realise the benefit of encouraging home working and many employers are investing in home offices for this exact reason. Businesses are starting to become more creative in investing in their employees and securing their long-term futures. Some employers are purchasing these Garden Offices for their employees as a cost to the business, whilst other companies are being more creative with allowing their employee to re-pay the outlay over an agreed period of time. Where an employer has the foresight to help the employee to invest in their property, they are securing their loyalty and service for a longer period.

Risk Assessments and Home Working Policy

It is vital that Employers have a home working policy. It needs to be clear showing a clear set up for working from home and this must include Risk Assessments, how they will be performed and carried out.

It is the responsibility of an employer to conduct a risk assessment of their employees’ working environment and activities. This is still the case when an employee is working from home. It does not apply to company premises only. It is a LEGAL REQUIREMENT THAT A RISK ASSESSMENT TAKES PLACE and needs to be ‘suitable and sufficient’.

Conducting a risk assessment for the health and safety of our employees has proven to be a challenge during these difficult times. Knowing where an employee is working day to day and what the risks are to health, safety and productivity is not easy and sometimes not practical. This is another reason that employers are looking to invest in Garden Office set-ups for 2021 and beyond. Once these offices are set up a complete risk assessment can be completed leaving the employer with peace of mind.

If changes are needed to make sure an employee can work at home in a safe and healthy way, employers are responsible for making sure they happen. Employers should review risk assessments regularly to make sure employees’ working environments at home remain safe and healthy. It needs to be clear as to who will provide the equipment and who will cover the specific agreed costs and expenses. Ensuring that your team are set up with the right equipment and environment is key to getting the best out of your people.

It will be an interesting 2021 with the number of individuals and employers needing to work or wanting to work from home likely to continue or increase. Many organisations are planning already to accommodate this and maximise the productivity and improve job satisfaction and wellbeing.

I look forward to supporting you during these challenging and changing times.

Neil Hames - Improve Garden Buildings

#workingfromhome #homeworking #homeworker #healthandsafety #healthandsafetypolicy #riskassessment #riskassessments #homeriskassessment #homeriskassessments #homeoffice #homeoffices #homeworkingsetup #gardenoffice #gardenoffices #gardenstudio #gardenstudios #gardenbuilding #gardenbuildings #wellbeing #jobsatisfaction #reducecosts 3increaseprofit #increaseprofits #homeworkingpolicy