Researchers of a new study found that offering employees a work from home or telecommuting option can prove to be beneficial for both their professional and personal life.
Earlier this year, Yahoo cancelled the option of telecommuting for its employees, stating that speed and accuracy are often compromised when employees work from home. However, in a new study, researchers from UAB Collat School of Business found otherwise.
They found that the benefits of working from home go far beyond just allowing employees to work in pajamas and it's not possible to predict how successful an employee or business will be if this option is available.
"The success of an employee working from home depends on the person, on the job and on the training the organization provides to do that role remotely," Scott Boyar, Ph.D., associate professor at the UAB Collat School of Business, said. "An organization has a lot of responsibility when letting workers go virtual, but the employee carries a lot of it too. There are questions they should ask themselves."
Researchers found that if the answer to the below mentioned questions is yes then there's no reason why an employee should not be allowed to work from home. The questions are:
- Is the employee motivated enough to work throughout the day without lagging off?
- Will the employee be able to focus and work to the best of his/her capabilities in a family environment?
- Is the employee capable of resisting temptations to take the day off on a work from home day?
"While there can be distractions at home like kids, animals, TV and chores, there's often flexibility to transition among various roles - particularly family - if boundaries can be set with some self-discipline," Boyar said. "If there is ability to adjust your schedule around kids, you could begin your work at 6 a.m. while they sleep. Break to get them to school, then go back to working. Break again to get them into their afternoon activity when school is out, then transition back into work."
Some of the benefits that come with allowing employees to work from home include cutting down on transportation costs, saving commuting time between an employee's home and office and preserving office resources like electricity. Moreover, if employees carry out the "work from home" procedure appropriately, they can work better with fewer interruptions than while working in an office.
According to Boyar, organizations should be able to strike a balance between asking its employees to come to office and allowing them to work from home.
"Organizations should not shy away from alternative work arrangement such as telecommuting or flex time, because it gives employees with other responsibilities the opportunity to schedule necessary needs around their work," Boyar said. "This option can lead to a much happier employee, which is always good for a company."
