Working from home
Discussion
I'm thinking of allowing certain members of staff to work from home up to three days per week - particularly those whose job requires high levels of concentration. We measure everything, and our IT infrastructure is very robust. As such, I don't think productivity will fall. If it does I'll simply remove the privilege. Anyway, my question is this: For those who work from home are there any hidden downsides, apart from the obvious (lack of human interaction, some loss of management control, reliance on technology, etc)?
I think it depends on the nature of the job in hand.
I used to work at home quite a bit - but to be quite honest I preferred being in the office - for the human interaction - plus you can have a good old chin-wag with folk and talk through stuff with them.
I still work from home occasionally when I've got a specific task to do and don't want to be interrupted.
K
I used to work at home quite a bit - but to be quite honest I preferred being in the office - for the human interaction - plus you can have a good old chin-wag with folk and talk through stuff with them.
I still work from home occasionally when I've got a specific task to do and don't want to be interrupted.
K
I work from home on the odd occasion when working on stuff that I need to concentrate on such as databases or when I need to be creative on designing newsletters and the like.
I tend to find that my output more than doubles when I am at home. I start work at 7.30 am and usually get so focused on what I am doing I am still at it at 6.30 pm. I save 90 minutes travelling time too.
I even find that I spend less time on forums at home too.
I always think that if you can't trust your employees to work at home then you probably can't trust them in the office either.
I tend to find that my output more than doubles when I am at home. I start work at 7.30 am and usually get so focused on what I am doing I am still at it at 6.30 pm. I save 90 minutes travelling time too.
I even find that I spend less time on forums at home too.
I always think that if you can't trust your employees to work at home then you probably can't trust them in the office either.
I used to work in a very busy office and now work from home. I found that I could get 2 days of "office work" done in 1 day of "home work". I did miss the banter of the office for a while but most of the good people left after a while so I'm more than happy to avoid the knobs! I'm given quite a free reign so there is not much of an issue of magagement control over me. However, I do need to submit reports/emails at certain deadlines and make phone calls etc.
The company set me up at home with a laptop and pay all the expenses such as buying a fax, calls and broadband etc. so I didn't bother with the tax implications. The computer is set up on the company web mail system but I also have a secure webras/citrix system to let me into the main company network so its just like being in the office.
I'm generally at home Monday and Friday and out on various sites for the rest of the week. Although I am on the road lots I certainly don't miss the commute to Manchester every day. I find that I can now start the working day at home much more refreshed.
The company set me up at home with a laptop and pay all the expenses such as buying a fax, calls and broadband etc. so I didn't bother with the tax implications. The computer is set up on the company web mail system but I also have a secure webras/citrix system to let me into the main company network so its just like being in the office.
I'm generally at home Monday and Friday and out on various sites for the rest of the week. Although I am on the road lots I certainly don't miss the commute to Manchester every day. I find that I can now start the working day at home much more refreshed.
They have, actually. About ten years ago they announced tax-breaks for what they called "tele-workers" i.e employees working from home. These tax-breaks still exist although, as I said earlier, the Inland Revenue are tightening up their srcutineering of employees making these claims.
Eric Mc said:
They have, actually. About ten years ago they announced tax-breaks for what they called "tele-workers" i.e employees working from home. These tax-breaks still exist although, as I said earlier, the Inland Revenue are tightening up their srcutineering of employees making these claims.
That's interesting Eric, I didn't know that. So what numbers are we talking about? I'm guessing it's a fairly small number!
www.ukonlineforbusiness.gov.uk/advice/publications/teleworking/home.html
For once, reasonable, condensed advice from the Civil Service
Betcha he left by now...
For once, reasonable, condensed advice from the Civil Service
Betcha he left by now...I've worked from home for eleven years now.
As others say, as long as you have the motivation -no problem.
But I did miss the office banter. Although now I find various car websites and PH like ten minutes around the photocopier over a coffee!!
And it's great in the summer to take work outside....
And a while cutting the grass or a little gardening gives me valuable thinking time....
Or walking the dogs to the pub and back for lunch if I feel I've deserved it!!!
As others say, as long as you have the motivation -no problem.
But I did miss the office banter. Although now I find various car websites and PH like ten minutes around the photocopier over a coffee!!
And it's great in the summer to take work outside....
And a while cutting the grass or a little gardening gives me valuable thinking time....
Or walking the dogs to the pub and back for lunch if I feel I've deserved it!!!
I deeply miss working from home.
In the past when I needed to spend tme putting together the processes and procedures for a new project, or a client proposal or basically anything that involved prodicng documents, I'd simply spend a few days to a week working at home.
The main problem I found from a personal level was finding the discipline to get it done without getting caught up in any other domestic activity (ie anything round the house, or even throwing a new DvD on...)
I find I'm so much more relaxed, more productive and not constrained in any way by "office" hours. If I need a couple of hours to do something lunchtime, fine. I can spend a little more time in the evening... I normally find I can get a "day" of work done in about half to three quarters of a day, less of th office distractions. Nobody wandering over to chat about another project, its more difficult to throw ad-hoc tasks my way that arent really my job etc etc.
In the past when I needed to spend tme putting together the processes and procedures for a new project, or a client proposal or basically anything that involved prodicng documents, I'd simply spend a few days to a week working at home.
The main problem I found from a personal level was finding the discipline to get it done without getting caught up in any other domestic activity (ie anything round the house, or even throwing a new DvD on...)
I find I'm so much more relaxed, more productive and not constrained in any way by "office" hours. If I need a couple of hours to do something lunchtime, fine. I can spend a little more time in the evening... I normally find I can get a "day" of work done in about half to three quarters of a day, less of th office distractions. Nobody wandering over to chat about another project, its more difficult to throw ad-hoc tasks my way that arent really my job etc etc.
Home working is an excellent idea - if you are the right person for it.
I've been working from home now for 4 years and have never been more productive. As others have said I seem to get much more work done but you do need discipline, discipline to actually stop and have lunch, to take a break now and again, to stop work at a reasonable hour.
I think if you ask people they are generally honest and some admit they are not suited to it. When I am quiet I do pop in to the office to catch up with workmates and blag a free coffee because my vending card is always empty
hello Kinky, you know what I mean mate.
I've been working from home now for 4 years and have never been more productive. As others have said I seem to get much more work done but you do need discipline, discipline to actually stop and have lunch, to take a break now and again, to stop work at a reasonable hour.
I think if you ask people they are generally honest and some admit they are not suited to it. When I am quiet I do pop in to the office to catch up with workmates and blag a free coffee because my vending card is always empty
hello Kinky, you know what I mean mate.I have worked from home for nearly 3 years now and wouldn't have it any other way. I work in sales so it easy to measure results and ensure I am productive. I travel about 2-3k miles a month so the last thing I need is a daily commute to work.
Working from home is better for productivity for the right kind of person and the right kind of job. If what they have to do is easy to measure (and they exactly what they need to do-it's really tough sitting at home and not having anyone around to get advice from if you not sure of something, the person is mature and driven they will do fine, if not better.
Just make sure they do not have a soft spot for cars-I would never have found this forum, my car, car shows, track days etc if I didn't have the freedom to sneak off onto the net....
Working from home is better for productivity for the right kind of person and the right kind of job. If what they have to do is easy to measure (and they exactly what they need to do-it's really tough sitting at home and not having anyone around to get advice from if you not sure of something, the person is mature and driven they will do fine, if not better.
Just make sure they do not have a soft spot for cars-I would never have found this forum, my car, car shows, track days etc if I didn't have the freedom to sneak off onto the net....
You start living at work...
Which is great, in some ways, if you are your own boss and if you are an employee its great for your boss but rarely good for you, long term.
Specific, isolated task based work is a great fit, everything else still requires an element of compromise and effort on top of the actual task.
Which is great, in some ways, if you are your own boss and if you are an employee its great for your boss but rarely good for you, long term.
Specific, isolated task based work is a great fit, everything else still requires an element of compromise and effort on top of the actual task.
I find working from home fantastic for specific tasks where I need to be undisturbed (eg writing or reviewing documents)..
...for tasks where interaction with others is required however being in the office is far more productive..
I do agree however that saving 3 hours travelling time, starting work at 7.30 over my breakfast and knocking off at 5.30 having done 10 hours of quality work beats leaving home at 7 am and getting back at 8.30 pm...
...for tasks where interaction with others is required however being in the office is far more productive..
I do agree however that saving 3 hours travelling time, starting work at 7.30 over my breakfast and knocking off at 5.30 having done 10 hours of quality work beats leaving home at 7 am and getting back at 8.30 pm...
I regularly work from home. I work freelance so my office is at home. On a long term basis you can feel very iscolated and desperately miss the interaction with co workers. However, productivity is extremely high, at least twice as much as office based work. (I can draw direct comparisoms as I am often based at a client site).
The proposal that you have made for two to three days per week from home is ideal. Just think all that increased productivity and your workers are using their own heat and light!
I definitely think it is the way forward. Travelling to a communal work place just so you can all sit in neighbouring cubicles is just so old hat.
pp
The proposal that you have made for two to three days per week from home is ideal. Just think all that increased productivity and your workers are using their own heat and light!
I definitely think it is the way forward. Travelling to a communal work place just so you can all sit in neighbouring cubicles is just so old hat.
pp
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