I used to have a job where I was regularly able to work from home about 1/2 of the time. I liked it because:
- I felt I was more productive.
- I got about an extra hour in my day because I didn’t have to commute to the office,
- And, on my breaks, I got to help my wife who was injured on her job and is not able to do a lot of the things that she used to be able to do.
- My work-life balance improved significantly.
So recently I had worked from home because I had to meet the air conditioning repair guys and I asked my new boss if it was OK. He replied that it was OK this time, but that I cannot do it anymore because of company policy.
I know this was the deal when I was hired, but it seems so last century, so I did a little research and found this recent article in Business Week that supports my feelings. http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-06-25/what-people-really-do-when-theyre-working-from-home
I like that the article says ““The whole point of teleworking, from the employee’s point of view, is the ability to fit one’s work into the rest of one’s life, not the other way around, as is the case in the ‘traditional’ office.”
I found another list of benefits on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telecommuting#Current_trends that include:
- Saved $$ on commuting costs. (car, gas, oil, etc)
- Reduce the environmental pollutants
All that being said, it is not for everyone. Here is are a few of the top reasons from US News (http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2012/08/09/10-reasons-working-from-home-might-not-be-for-you) that are valid reasons you might not be able to work from home:
- Easily Distracted
- Lack of motivation
- You have to be there in person.
- Lack of focus.
Here are some other articles to consider if you want to allow your employee’s to work from home.
http://gigaom.com/collaboration/scientists-prove-telecommuting-is-awesome/
http://gigaom.com/collaboration/ciscos-take-on-telecommuting-and-productivity/