Blog Detail

A wider range of options are now available for how firms can operate and be organised thanks to home working. Home working has allowed some companies the flexibility they require to maintain their business operations while prioritising staff and customer health and welfare as part of their public health responsibilities in the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, working from home was on the increase as many employers identified the benefits that it can bring to their business and the improved work-life balance for their employees. Even if you don't think working from home would be beneficial for your business, employees with 26 weeks service have a statutory right to request flexible-working arrangements such as home working and you, as an employer, have to seriously consider such requests.

Benefits of working from home for Employees

There are a variety of advantages for company as more people work from home or use their homes as a base of operations for at least part of the week, such as:

·        Flexibility as well as agility - Working from home allows you greater agility and flexibility in scheduling. Employees may be better suited and more willing to work flexible hours, such as earlier or later in the day or even on the weekends, if they are no longer confined to an office. This could assist you in meeting certain business needs, such as when dealing with clients who are in different time zones.

• Better retention of employees - Employees who work from home are more likely to stay with the company because of the flexibility it offers to fulfil childcare demands, cut down on commuting time, and fit work around personal obligations. Staff that are permitted to work from home will also feel more trusted by their employer, which can considerably enhance staff loyalty.
• Attract new talent – Offering the option of working from home as an inducement to join your company will help you draw in fresh talent. You will have an advantage over rival employers who don't give their personnel the choice to work from home on the job market, even if you only offer that option.
• Greater productivity as a result of fewer interruptions than would often be seen in an office setting. In contrast, working from home offers a more tranquil setting that may promote more concentrated work. Some workers might also want to work more hours than they were contractually required to in order to make up for time they used to spend travelling to and from work.
• Higher employee motivation - Employees who work from home will feel more trusted by their company because the working relationship isn't as closely watched and they have more freedom to do their jobs. The development of a home work schedule that works better for the staff will also make them happy, which may help them feel more inspired to perform at their best.
• Better health and wellbeing of your employees because they no longer have to commute to work, which might be unpleasant for them. Saving time in this way also helps employees to take advantage of additional health benefits like getting more sleep, spending more time with family, exercising, or cooking better foods.
• Comfort - Your workers may frequently go to clients' sites and aren't always in the office. It can be more convenient for them to base themselves at home, which also results in further time and money savings.
• A better work - life balance can be achieved by workers who work from home. For example, personnel who would have had to commute can now utilise that time for themselves, establishing the foundation for a better work-life balance. Additionally, employees are able to incorporate domestic tasks into their schedules, providing them extra time in the evenings for leisure activities like loading or unloading the dishwasher or cooking lunch.
• Fewer absences due to illness - employees who work from home are more likely to feel happier and more energised, which lowers the risk that burnout will have a detrimental influence on their immune systems. Additionally, because workers are working alone, there is a lower risk of an illness spreading than there would be in a shared office space.

Drawbacks of employees working from home

Though there are some drawbacks to working from home, the majority of them apply to individuals who do so during the majority of their working week rather than just parts of it.

• Working from home is not for everyone - It's possible that not everyone's personality or skill set is appropriate for working from home. Some workers might appreciate the routine and structure that an office setting offers. Some employees can prefer face-to-face communication with co-workers and find that receiving direct direction from their manager is very helpful in completing tasks and reaching goals. Additionally, keep employees with disabilities in mind. The support they require to perform their job may suffer if they work from home. Additionally, everyone's personal life may not mesh well with working from home.
• Isolation among employees - Staff members who work from home may feel disconnected from their coworkers and the company as a whole, which an office setting naturally permits. Employers may make sure that communication occurs more frequently in order to resolve this problem. So, by setting up quick phone catch-ups or frequent team meetings via other technologies like Skype, personnel have more opportunities to feel involved and part of the team. It would also be beneficial to have more casual social gatherings to combat any feelings of loneliness.
• A challenge in performance monitoring - Monitoring performance may be challenging since it may be challenging to manage and evaluate the work of home employees. Additionally, different personalities may react to surveillance in different ways. If you want to be able to identify and address performance concerns early on, you can consider defining goals and targets for employees that can be easily measured. For information on how to manage remote workers effectively, see managing staff performance.
• Distractions at home - Family noises and other members of the household might easily divert a worker from their task if they don't have a quiet dedicated working environment at home, even when working from home eliminates potential office distractions.
• The possibility of burnout - unlike an office, where there is a physical separation between work and personal life, working from home might make it difficult for employees to make that distinction. Employees may find it difficult to know how to switch off from work as a result, which could result in longer workdays, more stress, and eventually burnout. Employers should remind their personnel of the value of taking time off and urge them to take regular breaks.
• The price of working from home - The initial expenditures of training and providing relevant equipment, such as laptops, mobile phones, and other IT equipment, are associated with working from home. You must also take into account modifications to meet health and safety requirements.
• Team development issues - you might find that not having your staff physically close to one another makes it more difficult to maintain staff development and skill upgrades. However, you may encourage employees to take use of online events and courses to pick up new skills. Find events using our Events Finder to get started.
• Lower employee morale – When workers are working independently at home, it might be more difficult to retain a sense of teamwork.
• Not all jobs are suitable for working from home - certain jobs are more suitable than others. Equally, some personality types benefit from working remotely while others do not. Some people might prefer face-to-face interactions with coworkers.
• Slow internet speeds – You should be aware that depending on where your staff members live, they might not have access to internet speeds that would allow them to perform their jobs efficiently, for example, rural broadband is frequently very slow.

Some employers now have a realistic understanding of how the coronavirus pandemic may impact their company and their personnel, something they may not have had in the past. Employers can now discover first-hand the benefits and drawbacks of working from home. Employers can make business-friendly decisions about working methods with the use of this experience.