HOME WORKING


(Tan, 2020)

What is Work from Home - WFH?

 

Work From home or WFH is a concept where the employee can do his or her job from home using company approved assets, policies and tools. Work from home gives flexible working hours to the employee as well as the job for the employer is done with ease. Work from home is helpful to delivering work life balance to the employee, and also parallelly helps the company to get the work done. Nowadays, most of the employers are offering this option to their employees.

Work from home (or Working from home) is a modern work approach enabled through internet and mobility wherein irrespective of the physical location of an individual work can be done. Work from Home is also known as Working Remotely or telecommuting which implies that the employee is working from a remote location usually home. (Team, n.d.)

 



 Importance of the Work from Home (WFH) Concept

Work from home as a concept is very important in current times. It helps to keep productivity of the employee same or even better and at the same time supports the employee for being with family or handling some personal work. Also in the case the employee is facing some health issue of self or family, Work from Home (WFH) can be a great tool for helping employee stay at home and work at the same time. in 2020, during Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic, Work from Home enabled many companies to remain productive and keep themselves relevant. (Team, n.d.)

As we delve deeper into the importance of remote work, let’s look at the top 10 benefits it brings to the list:

1.    Flexibility: The ability to work whenever and wherever allows for a better work-life balance.

2.    Increased Productivity: A Stanford study found that remote workers are 13% more productive than their office-bound colleagues.

3.    Cost Savings: No commuting costs, no office attire, and potentially lower costs for food means more money in your pocket.

4.    Less Stress: The absence of a daily commute and a more relaxed work environment can reduce stress and improve mental health.

5.    Custom Work Environment: Whether you prefer silence or blasting your favorite tunes, you can create your perfect workspace at home.

6.    Reduced Absenteeism: Employees are less likely to call in sick when they can work comfortably from home.

7.    More Time: No commuting means gaining back hours each week that can be spent on hobbies, family, or even more work.

8.    Healthier Lifestyle: With more time, you can cook healthier meals, squeeze in a workout, or take breaks to stretch or meditate.

9.    Global Job Opportunities: You’re not restricted by location. You can work for any company, anywhere in the world.

10.Environmentally Friendly: No commute means a smaller carbon footprint, contributing to the fight against climate change.

Each of these benefits emphasizes the importance of remote work, not just for employees, but also for employers and the environment. This new way of working is quickly becoming the norm, so it’s crucial to understand and embrace its advantages.

 

 



 

(https://www.aeologic.com/, 2023)

 

Advantages of Work from Home (WFH)

 

There are many advantages while working from home.

1. There is more job applicant for a particular job with certain people with location constraint or disabled people can apply for the job. Even parents with children who tend to leave job can be retained for the job.

2. There is more work life balance. Many people claim that a more quieter or friendly atmosphere is found at home which helps to concentrate on the work as well as they can complete the assigned work quickly.

3. There is a lot of savings with respect to cost of office infrastructure like spaces, electricity bills etc.

4. Employees feel motivated as they get a good work life balance, and improves their productivity

 



Disadvantages of Work from Home

 

There are many disadvantages as well

1. There is always a major problem with monitoring the work.

2. The cost of technological infrastructure that is required for implementing the concept.

3. There is always a security problem with data being transferred and that can’t be monitored easily.

4. All jobs doesn’t is not suitable for work from home concept. Sometimes communication problem between employees makes it problematic for a job.

 

There are both advantages and disadvantages with this work from home concept. But still most companies are offering this to its employees and this has been a new trend these days. However some people think the ideal way should be splitting the week with some days working from home and other days visiting office, by doing that many of the pitfalls can be taken care of. So this depends on employers which procedure to follow. (Team, n.d.)

 

Work From Home Tips

 

The companies should encourage the employees to WFH but should provide certain tips to enable effective Work from Home like

1. Asking employee to work for the hours he/she would work otherwise in office

2. Maintain a proper work schedule

3. If personal breaks are being taken for personal work, proper status should be sent to manager

4. Designate a place at home where work can be done in a professional setting

5. Make sure you have proper internet and mobile connectivity (many companies provide reimbursement policies as well)

6. Have a proper routine with breaks


 


 

 

Work from Home Steps

 

A company before allowing work from option should be enabled as a mobile organization

1. Make sure that the employees can work from home securely

2. Provide office laptop and hardware if work has to be ensured with proper security

3. Have professional partners for video and audio conferencing

4. Put proper WFH policy in place for employees to follow

5. Make sure you have reimbursement policies in place for internet, mobile bills etc. (Team, n.d.)

 





 

 

 References

https://www.aeologic.com/. (2023, august 30). Retrieved from https://www.aeologic.com/.

Tan, E. (2020, 03 17). https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/. Retrieved from https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/home-working

Team, M. S. (n.d.). https://www.mbaskool.com/. Retrieved from https://www.mbaskool.com/: https://www.mbaskool.com/business-concepts/human-resources-hr-terms/16870-work-from-home.html

 

 

 

 

 







Comments

  1. Kasun KarunaratneApril 13, 2024 at 2:55 AM

    Work from home (WFH) is a modern work approach that allows employees to work from home using company-approved assets, policies, and tools. It provides flexible working hours, increased productivity, cost savings, less stress, a customizable workspace, reduced absenteeism, more time, healthier lifestyle, global job opportunities, and an environmentally friendly approach. The top 10 benefits of WFH include increased job applicants, better work-life balance, and reduced office infrastructure costs. However, there are disadvantages such as monitoring work, high costs of technological infrastructure, security issues, and not all jobs are suitable for WFH. To ensure effective WFH, companies should encourage employees to work for the hours they would work in the office, maintain a proper work schedule, designate a professional workspace, ensure proper internet and mobile connectivity, and have a proper routine with breaks. To ensure a successful WFH, companies should enable mobile organization, provide secure work environments, professional partners for video and audio conferencing, and have proper WFH policies in place.

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