Is Working From Home Right For Me?

Working from home can open up a new array of possibilities in how companies work and organize their operations. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which began in March 2020, provided workers and employers an perspective on home working when commercial establishments were required to be shut down due to government requirements to safeguard the public health.

Before the coronavirus pandemic it was commonplace to work from home. growing in popularity as employers realized the benefits it could bring to their company and better work-life balance of their employees. Even if you’re not convinced that doing work from home is beneficial to your business employees who have 26 weeks of experience have the legal right to ask for flexible working arrangements, such as working from home and employers must seriously think about these requests.

The benefits of work from home jobs for employees

With more and more employees who work from home or using their homes as a work base at least for a portion of the time It’s evident that there are numerous advantages for businesses including:

Flexibility and agility

Home-based working allows more flexibility and flexibility in work arrangements. When employees aren’t restricted to a desk and working from home, they are more suited and willing to work in a flexible schedule such as later or earlier during the day, or during weekends. This can allow you to meet specific requirements of your business, for instance when you trade with clients who reside in an area with a different time zone.

Increased retention of employees

Home-based work can aid in keeping employees since the flexibility of working from home allows them to accommodate the needs of their children, cut down on their commutes and allow employees to job schedule with their own personal lives. When employees are able to work from home, employees will also experience higher levels of trust in their employer and this can be a major contributor to the loyalty of staff.

Attract new talent

The option of working from home can be used as a reason to encourage employees to work for you, helping you draw new talent into your company. Offering the possibility of working from your home can help you stand out in the market for jobs over those who don’t provide home-based work as an option for employees.

Improved productivity

There are fewer interruptions which are common in a workplace. However, working at home can create peace and quiet, which will allow for focussed work. It is also possible that some employees would like to extend their contracted hours since they can reduce the time commute time to and from work.

Motivation of staff members has increased

When working from home, staff will be more dependable to their employers as the work relationship isn’t as tightly monitored , and employees are given some autonomy to do their job. Employees will also feel more comfortable creating a work schedule at home that they like and can result in being more motivated to be their top performance.

Health and well-being of employees improved

The convenience of working from home removes the necessity of a trip to work, which can cause stress to your employees. The time savings can also allow employees to enjoy more health benefits like sleeping more or spending more time with their families, exercising or cooking healthy food choices.

Financial benefits

Save money on offices, space for office equipment as well as utility bills and other services. Employees may also avail tax relief offered by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) to work at home.

Convenience

There may be employees who frequent visits to locations of customers and thus not always working in the office. The option of allowing them to work at home could be more efficient and can lead to additional cost and time savings.

A better work/life balance

Homework will help employees achieve a better life balance. For instance, employees who could have commuted are now able to make use of that time creating the foundation for a more harmonious work-life. Employees are also able to work household chores into their schedules which gives them more time during the evening, such as taking the dishwasher out for loading and unloading or cooking dinner during their lunch break.
Technology can make life simpler

The internet has allowed employees to remain connected to their workplace. Tools like Skype allow collaboration between teams and colleagues more efficient and could result in more effective and efficient meetings.

Absents from lower sickness

The employees are more likely feel more relaxed and happier when working from home, and thus less likelihood that their immunity system being adversely affected by burnout. In addition, because employees are in an isolated environment it is less likely to be a source of spreading infections as would be the case in the office.

The disadvantages of employees who work at home

Although there are some drawbacks for employees who work at home, the majority of them pertain to people who work from home for the entirety and not just a part of their work week:

Home-based work isn’t for everyone.

The idea of working from home may not suit every person’s temperament or abilities. Some workers may prefer the structure and routine that an office setting provides. Some employees might prefer personal contact with their colleagues and find face-to-face interaction from their supervisors extremely helpful to assist them in completing their tasks and meet their goals. It is also important to be aware of employees with disabilities. The fact that they work from home could have a negative effects on the help they need to perform their work. It is also possible that working from home does not work for everyone’s family life, for example, some parents have children who may not know boundaries and create disruptions throughout the working day. Some might not have the space needed to set up the ideal working environment.

Staff feel isolated

Homeworkers may be unable to connect with their colleagues and the organization in general, which offices naturally allow. To combat this, employers can make sure that communication is more frequent. By scheduling short meetings via phone or regularly scheduled team meetings using other tools such as Teams, Skype or Zoom employees are given the chances to feel connected as part of the group. A more casual and social gathering will also reduce feeling of isolation.

The difficulty of monitoring the performance

There may be difficulties managing employees at home and keeping track of their performance. Individuals may react to monitoring in different levels of optimism. You can consider setting goals and objectives with employees which are easily tracked to ensure that if the goals aren’t being achieved, you are able to determine and fix any issues with performance in the early stages.

Home distractions

Home working can eliminate the distractions that could be present in an office, when a person doesn’t have a quiet, private work space at home, they could be easily distracted by the sounds of their home or the other household members.

Burnout risk

If an office offers distinct physical separation between home and work and home life, it can cause employees to struggle to discern between work and the home life. This can result in workers having difficulty figuring out what to do to disconnect from work, which can lead to longer hours, more stress and eventual exhaustion. Employers need to encourage their employees to take breaks regularly in addition to reminding them about the necessity to take a break.

Cost of working at home

The initial costs for training and the provision of appropriate equipment, such as mobile phones, laptops, along with other technology. Also, you will need to think about adjusting your equipment to comply with health and safety requirements.

Staff development problems

It is possible that having staff not near to one another can hinder the development of staff and enhancing their abilities. But you can encourage employees to use the chance to develop new skills through online classes and events.

Security risks for information

Security concerns with regards to information security are more likely to arise when staff work at home. There is a higher risk of security issues with laptops being left at home, and the requirement for employees to be able to access servers remotely. Employers should make sure they put steps in place to secure the company’s information through the installation of encryption programs and remote wipe apps in the event that mobile devices owned by you disappear. Virtual private networks can also secure your data and offer secure access to computers through the internet. This keeps your data and files safe but accessible staff members.

Mental health issues can have a negative impact

Working from home can be detrimental to your employee’s mental wellbeing in the event that they fail to create an ideal routine for them, struggle to keep work and home life, or feel isolated. To encourage your employees to establish an effective routine create a specific workspace and establish limits for household members. Give employees more chances to stay in touch via regular conversations and group meeting up. Healthy eating and regular exercise can boost mental wellbeing, particularly when integrated into a daily routine.

Staff morale has deteriorated

It can be difficult to keep team spirit intact when employees work from home by themselves.

Not all jobs are suitable for work from home

The flexibility of working from home is beneficial for certain tasks better than other jobs. Also working from home is a good fit for certain personality types, however not all. Certain people might prefer coworker interaction via face-to-face.

Slow broadband

It is important to be aware that, based on the location where your employees live, they might not able to connect to broadband speeds that allow them to perform their duties efficiently. For example, rural broadband is typically extremely slow.

The coronavirus pandemic has provided certain employers, who might not otherwise have considered working from home as an option for employees, an understanding of how it impacts their company and their employees. Employers can now get first-hand insight into the benefits and drawbacks of working from home. This information can be helpful in helping employers figure out the future direction of their work practices that can improve their company.

Hybrid approach to working

A shift to home-based work doesn’t mean that employees need to work from home. The majority of the time, splitting their time between home, other remote locations , and working from home is the most efficient option. Your employees may be asked to give feedback on their work from home experience to help them participate with the procedure of establishing the hybrid working policy.