Recent world events have led to an increase in the number of people having to work from home. This has advantages and disadvantages – for both the employee and the company they work for.

One good thing about working from home is not having to commute – being able to get out of bed that little bit later, then not having to wait in queues for buses, the hassle of train delays, or frustrating traffic jams – plus saving money on petrol, which is good for the environment too.

Manage your own time

Time-management becomes a personal remit – having lunch at a time that suits you, and not having to wait for a colleague to cover your break.

You don’t have the boss breathing down your neck when you’re sat in the comfort of your own home.

For the company, they may be able to save money on renting office space due to not needing as much as before, plus, making the most of modern technology by having meetings via social media saves time and money.

Disadvantages include the need to be self-motivated – you still need to get up at a reasonable hour and get your work done. There are still deadlines to meet and those boring-but-compulsory conference calls to be on time for.

From a social point of view, there is no interpersonal contact with colleagues – and human contact is important for health and well-being, it is a social need. You may struggle without others to talk to and discuss things with – and it’s not so productive talking to the dog!

No peer socialising

In addition, there’s no peer socialising – e.g. having coffee breaks and lunch together, and some people can find this demoralising and depressing, as it is an integral part of the work environment.
Family interruptions may be something that needs contending with, especially if there are young children at home.

Higher energy costs

For both the individual and the employer, there may be a higher cost in terms of energy bills. For the staff member, being at home means using more electricity for laptops and lighting, and water for all those coffees.

For the employer, if some staff are in, but not others, there may be the wasted costs of having to heat or light a whole building if they are unable to contain the energy consumption – and in the winter months there is a greater need than when the days are lighter and warmer.

Home-working is a sign of the times – so many things are now able to be done online that work can be done remotely with no need for office space. This seems to be the direction the world is heading in.