Working from Home
During the recent snow and extreme cold weather, workers were being encouraged to work from home if at all possible and avoid going out on the roads to try to get into the office. Is this however the way we should all be working in the future and does it make sense for a business to have most of its employees at home rather than in the office?
The main concern with having people working at home is that they won’t be as productive as if they were in the office. It’s certainly true that there are more distractions and home and more temptations to switch the television on and relax with a cup of coffee, but as long as management is good and workers are given clear directions about what they are expected to achieve during the working day and when they are expected to be available, these difficulties can be overcome.
Some jobs are obviously more suited to home working than others, but most office based jobs can be done from home. Technology easily allows workers to log into their home computers and access the files and network on the servers in the office, uploading files or printing things off exactly as they would do if at their desk. A dedicated phone line can be installed allowing the working to take business calls at home, with the caller unaware that they are not speaking to someone in an office. Software such as keystroke loggers can be used to ensure that your employee is getting through the work as directed.
Apart from the flexibility to the company and the employee, having more people working at home means the company will save money on rent as they will be able to use smaller offices, and the company’s carbon footprint will be reduced considerably as heating costs will be down and less traffic will be on the roads if people are not commuting. The government is making a big push on environmental issues for businesses, including ISO 14001 environmental management standards and requiring companies to report back about their energy use and their plans to decrease their impact. Even if your company has no interest in the ISO 14001 accreditation scheme, implementing the green measures will save money, and being seen as a flexible and modern employer will help both retain existing staff and attract good quality new ones.
There are some functions that need to be retained in Head Office and working at home is not suitable for every business or every employee. It is a growing trend though, and one which all businesses should be considering as the shift to more flexible working patterns looks set to continue.