Ensure collaboration and transparency throughout your organisation
The rapid increase in popularity of working from home is allowing industries to try out new structures and procedures that they may have never considered. What’s more, new opportunities, benefits and responsibilities are now up for discussion as flexible working becomes the norm. Employees with 26 weeks service have the right to request flexible working, and you as the employed must give their request due consideration.
Benefits of working from home
With an increasing number of employees working from home due to Covid-19, the benefits this circumstance brings to employers is becoming clear. The major advantages of working from home are as follows:- Access to a wider pool of applicants. Being able to hire candidates from all across the country will certainly come with benefits to the employer. It will become significantly easier to hire candidates for more specialised roles.
- Increased productivity. Working in your own space can help you clear your mind, allowing more focused work.
- Improved employee retention rate. Those who are burdened with a long daily commute will find themselves more willing to remain at a job that requires no travelling.
- Financial benefits. This applies for both staff and employers. Business owners will make huge savings on office space and other facilities, and staff will spend less on commuting and lunchtime takeaways.
- Increased staff motivation. Many employees find that they don’t have enough time for their personal lives, when you couple working full-time with their lengthy commute. Staff who work from home will be able to form a better work/life balance.
Drawbacks of working from home
With the many benefits of working from home, there are bound to be some drawbacks. Working from home for the whole working week can provide employers with a few struggles. The main drawbacks to working from home are:- Difficulty monitoring performance. Assessing the performance of people who work at home is perhaps the most significant managerial challenge during these times. It’s important to set traceable goals for your employees to ensure that all the work is being completed. You must also ensure that staff development is maintained.
- Increased expenses. It’s important that money is being spent on staff training and equipment to ensure that employees are well prepared for any incident.
- Information security risk. information security is more likely to be breached when all technology and data is in employees homes. It is vital that you outline data protection procedures with staff.
- Increased telecommunications costs. It is important that you ensure that your employees are kitted with a mobile phone for work purposes. When working from home, it’s generally a good idea to upgrade your phone systems and start using more modern software. Ensuring collaboration and teamwork between staff is absolutely essential when working from home.
- Decreased mental well being. Working from home could either be great for staff morale, or staff could just as easily start developing feelings of isolation while confined. What’s more, it can be harder to maintain team spirit when employees are working at different locations.
- While it’s true that the UK is making a shift towards working from home, this doesn’t have to be a full-time situation. There are already circumstances where employees may work from home on one day per week. Splitting time between home and the workplace is a great solution for those wanting to reap the benefits of working from home, whilst still being involved in a workplace community.