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Working from home – just how flexible are businesses getting?

Over the past twenty years, there has been a significant rise in flexible working. The last Workplace Employment Relations Survey conducted in 2011 found that at least 17% of employees in the UK now work from or at home as part of a flexible working arrangement. The benefits of home working have been widely praised by both employers and employees alike. For employers, benefits can include: significant costs savings in terms of overheads; increased productivity of employees when cutting out travel time and the associated stress, and higher staff morale with employees feeling trusted by their employers and finding it easier to achieve a work-life balance.

However, in recent times there have been signs of backlash. Back in February, the Chief Executive of Yahoo, Marissa Mayer, issued a ban on employees working from home. The principal reason she gave for this decision was that she believed some of the best business decisions and insights came from impromptu conversations in, say, the corridor or cafeteria, and inevitably employees who were working from home were less likely to engage in such dialogues.

The impact of home working on employees’ career prospects has also been called into question. A recent two year research project by the Cranfield School of Management and Working Families, found that flexible workers were less likely to be chosen for ‘crucial or urgent work’. With a greater chance of such work (when completed successfully) leading to employee recognition, and perhaps, in turn, promotion opportunities, this could be a real disadvantage for home workers. It is also perhaps more difficult to monitor the performance of an employee who is not present in the office.

The perception and attitude of senior managers and colleagues can also pose a difficult challenge for home-based employees. It has been reported that employees who work flexibly can be seen as lacking commitment, being unavailable, and being less well prepared to face the challenges of a senior post. There is also a concern that home working prevents employees from fully integrating with their teams, and that they can be resented by their colleagues who perceive them as less able to manage unforeseen issues as they crop up from time to time. Andy Dallas, a director at Robert Half International, a recruitment company which has stated its commitment to improving work-life balance for its staff, has recently commented that there is a need for more in-house coaching to help managers and employees to address these issues.

Are you a home based worker? Does your organisation employ home based workers? Have you noticed a change in the attitude to home working in your organisation? In your experience, do the pros outweigh the cons? Author Bio Oliver Harding has written numerous articles on behalf for The Best Discount Codes Blog. Oliver provides useful insights for entrepreneurs, home owners and consumers. The Best Discount Codes contain the best voucher codes on the web, saving you money on the things you love the most.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Rick Walker .