Written By: Guest Author Daniel Moore
Some people love the idea of working from home, especially if it suits their lifestyle better than working in the office. Perhaps they have a long commute, small children or health conditions that make working from home easier than travelling all the way into the office every day.
And in the shorter term, it could work for employees who are having issues ranging from car trouble, building work on their homes, or during the summer holidays when their children are home from school and they are unable to make alternative arrangements.
There are many benefits to employers allowing their employees to work from home, as well as a few challenges that may arise. Here, we take a look at them.
The Advantages
The biggest advantage for giving the choice to employees is that it can massively increase motivation, which can then, in turn, increase productivity. Allowing people to work from home sends out a strong message that their employer trusts them, and has their interests as a priority.
Having employees who work from home can give a lot of workers a better work/life balance and means they’re more likely to work harder and with more enthusiasm. Multiple studies have shown that workers who maintain a more even work/life balance, and who are allowed more time to relax and unwind, are significantly more productive during the hours that they do work. Workers will have more spare time and be less stressed from commuting, which could mean an improvement in the quality of their overall performance.
The Challenges
On the other hand, there are also a few challenges employers need to be aware of and monitor when allowing employees to work from home. For example, for some companies, it could pose an information security risk, and further investment in security measures may be required for protection and peace of mind.
Also, it can affect performance in some workers. Working from home may make some people more motivated, but issues can arise where it actually makes people less productive. For example, it’s possible some could have face greater disruption at home, or have a lack of a proper work space. For others, the temptation to have an afternoon nap and watch Netflix might prove to be too strong, and they feel more motivated working from the office.
Striking the Perfect Balance
To counteract this, it may be a good idea to monitor the work of employees who decide to work from home and compare it to their previous performance in the office, or, if they work from home from the get-go, compare their work with those in the office who have a similar job title, workload and experience.
But the very fact that the offer is there for workers may be enough to motivate even those who aren’t able to work from home. When it comes to working from home, both employers and employees can come to flexible arrangements. For example, you may decide that workers can work from home one or two days per week.
If your business is adopting this less defined working model, then it may prove more efficient to base yourself in a more flexible, shared office space. Shoreditch has traditionally been the prime destination for these types of spaces, with copious coworking options as well as serviced office space like Proper Office offering a fuller, customised package. However, they are becoming an increasingly common sight elsewhere, and can be a useful way of maintaining a main premises even when you have staff working remotely.
