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Working from home – why it makes business sense

Many employees find there are lots of benefits to working from home. But while these roles can be difficult to come by, many employees find that a professional role with some level of work from home can be just what they need to get the balance they’re seeking in their lives.

When you allow employees to work from home, you can help them to find that balance – and in many cases, without that flexibility, those same employees often simply wouldn’t be able to work. We explored this in our recent Flexible and Proud Report.

It’s not just parents either – carers also need this help. For families where there is additional pressure such as ailing parents or a child with additional needs, there are lots of benefits working from home. Plus if you’re an employer, it can really help to make a difference to your staff attraction and retention rates if you decide to offer it as an option.

Five benefits of working from home

  1. Increase productivity

Often, jobs working from home lead to greater productivity. It means employees over perform, proving that they are sat at their desks and working hard. You’ll also find they also won’t spend time chatting to colleagues or taking long lunch breaks.

  1. Save time

If a parent needs to go to a school play for an hour in the morning, they will likely then have to spend another hour or so commuting in to work. They may sit down at their desk at 11am, for example. But if you allow them to work from home that day, they can get on with tasks from 10am and get more done instead.

  1. Increase discretionary effort

When employees work from home, they feel invested in and looked after. And often, that leads to increased discretionary effort. It’s a motivating factor and can see productivity heightened, but also, the value of that work will be greater because the employee tries harder. In short, they’re more likely to go the extra mile to do a good job if they feel invested in.

  1. Reduce costs

Employees who perform jobs working from home don’t take up vital desk space, energy or resource. If employees work from home, they will need the right tools to get on with the job properly, but the digital age means they can react just as quickly as if they are working in the office.

  1. Boost energy levels

When you allow employees to work from home, they don’t have to deal with a long commute – something that can be stressful and tiring at the best of times. It also gives them that time back to devote to work or a quick household chore. This can really help to alleviate pressure and will boost energy and happiness levels. And happy staff stick around for longer…

If you’d like to learn more about making working from home work for your business, our part-time and flexible recruitment consultancy can help. Contact Jane on 07854 055698.

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