Written by Businesses have been saddled with a burgeoning number of guidelines from successive Governments in recent years. While there are some matters which have become very high profile, such as health and safety legislation and financial issues, each and every business function has been involved to some degree. Hiring and retaining staff has always been one of the most volatile fields in this regard. Indeed, an extract from a 2009 CBI report on the UK’s Enterprise Policy publicised their views on the matter – “The area of employment regulation is especially burdensome.”
One topic which has been the subject of a great deal of discussion in the past few years is flexible working. Allowing employees to Work From Home if their job content is suitable was seen as a way for thecompany to retain their talents should their personal circumstances alter. In years gone by events such as parenthood, injury or the need to look after dependents frequently meant that employees had to stop working. While flexible working could be very beneficial to both parties, there are some issues which ought to be business before employees are offered the option to Work From Home.
One of the basic considerations ought to be the expenditure involved. The recent economic downturn has caused many businesses to witness reductions in their profit margins and the cost to permit employees to begin flexible working should be closely scrutinised. Equipment such as computers, office equipment and the necessary communication technology, all of which are in place at the firm’s offices, will need to be installed at the worker’s home. Extra training might be required in the technology needed to function independently of the office. In addition, the workspace at home may need to be adapted, or in extreme cases, created. If the worker is only going to Work From Home on occasions, then the return on these costs will be less than normal. It ought to be remembered that only 3% of current flexible workers do so permanently and it is very likely that these people will be working for a newly-created Internet Business which will have a lot of employees doing Online Jobs.
The company will need to be convincedthat the work can be performed just as efficiently at home as it would be in the office. Any role which requires constant interaction with colleagues or needs to be closely monitored by management will not be appropriate. Similarly, any work of a sensitive nature should be kept within the office to prevent any potential security problems with confidential information. As well as that of the job function, the suitability of the staff themselves is a crucial factor to take into account. While the general hubbub of a busy office environment can be distracting to some, the temperament to Work From Home is not present in everyone. People would need to be made aware of, and comfortable with, the isolation which accompanies working at home. This is potentially the main reason why working from home permanently is only undertaken by 3% of the country’s workforce. A mixture of office and home working will probably be more beneficial.
So, the decision is not a simple one if you are not an Internet Business with a lot of Online Jobs. While it may be perceived as a luxury, not a necessity, to propose flexible working to employees, there are flexible working regulations which force firms to “seriously consider” any request for it from those employees with children under 16, disabled children under 18 or certain types of adult dependents.
