It is clear from the option of flexible working that companies are now promoting, an increasing number of employees are working from home either on a full-time of part-time basis.
So what are the pros and cons to working from home?
Pros:
There are a number of benefits for working from home. These are,
- Financial benefits – savings on office space and other facilities.
- Employee retention – home working can help retain working parents with childcare responsibilities.
- Wider pool of applicants – e.g, disabled people who may prefer to work from home.
- Productivity gains – due to fewer interruptions and less commuting time.
- Increased staff motivation – with reduced stress and sickness levels.
- Convenience – ability to locate staff near clients rather than in your premises.
- Better work/life balance – employees working from home can lead to improvements in health and well-being.
Cons:
There are also some cons to employees working at home, these are:
- Cost of working from home – initial costs of training and providing suitable equipment.
- Staff development – difficulty of maintaining staff development and upgrading skills.
- Information security risk – information security problems could be more likely to occur.
- Increased telecommunications costs – e.g, increase in telephone bills or need for a mobile phone.
- Communication problems – could increase feelings of isolation amongst home workers.
- Decreased staff morale – it can be harder to maintain team spirit when employees are working at different locations.
- Not all jobs suit home working – working from home suits some jobs better than others.
- Monitoring performance – there could be difficulty managing home workers and monitoring their performance.
- Performance issues – possible deterioration in employees’ skills and work quality.