Should companies allow employees to work from home?

Today we are reviewing some genuinely good reasons for working from home. It can make your staff happier, more efficient, and your business more profitable.

First, let’s start by saying working from home is not the best option for all employees. Yes, the article is about why you want to let employees work from home. But some of your employees thrive on and need the interaction where they can interact with fellow employees and speak directly to customers.

While other members of your team may need to be guided. It’s not that they are lazy or unmotivated, but they distract easily. Struggle to stay on task or where to begin each day and they value the guidance in-person communications and oversight provides them.

We will not be discussing these types of employees because they are not the employees that need or want to work from home.

 

You already are working from home

That’s right, many of us already work from home routinely and use that time to “Get Stuff Done“. Everything from phone calls to responding to customer emails on our smartphones. Updating and creating presentations for clients or spreadsheets for the bean counters. So deciding to actually work from home on a more regular basis can have some advantages.

Valid reasons to work from home

Avoiding the Daily Commute–Let’s be honest here, many of us drive at least 30 minutes each way to work. There are even quite a few that are driving over an hour each way on our daily commute. That is a lot of time in the car that makes a long day even longer.

Commuting Costs–besides less time in the car when commuting. Saving money on the commute, business attire, dry cleaning, and other expenses associated with going to work every day. The additional savings can translate into more money, which seems like a raise to your employees.

Less Distraction–Yes, I said it was less distraction. You might think that working from home would be more distracting. Expecting your employees will watch TV, playing a video game or listening to music would keep you from getting work done.

This couldn’t be farther from the truth. Many of your employees desire a calmer working environment. One that the standard office environment just doesn’t give. Such as the open floor plans which made use more collaborative.

They actually do the opposite, since there is little or nothing between you and the surrounding desks to minimize noise or distractions. Employees with little between you and your fellow employees to minimize distractions. Noisy neighbors, odd smells of food, and the commotion of a busy office take away the ability of many workers to do their best work.

What are the benefits of working from home?

Health benefits–At the time of this article, health scares from infection of Corona Virus and seasonal flu were at an all-time high. Companies and employees both concerned with the spread of illness amongst the ranks of your employees gave many companies good reason to consider remote working options to help minimize spreading serious illness between everyone.

Flexibility–Workers are increasingly looking for opportunities to enjoy a work-life balance. As the younger generations are becoming a larger and larger piece of the workforce. They are opting for jobs that afford them more work-life balance. And the healthier feeling of being more in control of their lives, such as flexible schedules so they can work when they are most efficient.

Is working from home right for you?

Working from home can be challenging and you need to take a few things into consideration before working from home.

Can you be self-motivated? There will be no one at your home watching over you, so you need to be certain you can manage your time? And get your work done when it needs to be done or working from home is not for you.

Solitude can be difficult–If you are a people person, you might find it difficult to work from home with no one there to talk to. You might feel like you’re a bit stir crazy.

How do I ask my boss to work from home?

If you believe you want to work from home, and you have the ability and drive needed to work in your current position. Now you need to convince your boss to allow you to do it, but how?

Talk to your boss–Be honest and have a frank discussion with him/her. Tell them you enjoy your position and feel that you can bring more value to your position and performance within the company by working from home.

Offer to try it temporarily–Discuss with management that you would like to work from home and you would like to have a trial basis. This will give you the chance to see if it works for you and your employer prior to doing it full time.

Work from home a few days a week. On a temporary or trial basis, ask if you can work from home a few days a week. Maybe it’s to save some commuting time, or to help be more productive, but working from home a few days a week might be most helpful to you and your employer.

Good luck and welcome to a remote office 570-215-8888.