We´ve all heard about teleworking, also known as homeworking. Every employee would welcome the opportunity of teleworking for at least one day a week but do employers share in that view?  Here we take a look at the benefits both for employers and employees.

Teleworking offers significant benefits to employers, employees, self employed individuals and entrepreneurs, and in developing the local economy. It also presents opportunities to secure wider social benefits - for example by reducing the environmental impact of car travel.

Benefits for employers

Cost savings

The main savings are in premises costs, office overheads and labour. Companies adopting telework methods achieve significant reductions in total office occupancy. Work can be carried out wherever the appropriate skills are available at the optimum mix of costs and other factors. In some circumstances recruitment costs can also be reduced, as can the costs associated with high staff turnover (attrition) rates. If a company adopts a total "flexible working" strategy, all costs associated with relocation of staff can be eliminated.

 

Increased productivity

Productivity increases of 40% have been reported, though a range of 10%-40% is probably more typical across a large-scale programme. Teleworkers avoid travel time and the interruptions of a office environment. Both teleworkers and their managers consistently report significant productivity gains.

 

Improved motivation

In successful programmes, employees respond well to the signal of trust and confidence indicated by the employer's adoption of more independent work styles encouraged by teleworking.

 

Skills retention

Employees who might otherwise leave can remain in their jobs, for example when the family moves because of a job change by another family member who works in a non-telework company. Employees who take a career break can continue working part time and remain up to date with the business and its methods. Employees who take maternity leave can continue to undertake some tasks and require less retraining when they return to work full time.

Organisation flexibility

In the event of restructuring and reorganisation people can continue to work without disruption to their personal lives. People work in dispersed teams that can be assembled and reassembled as the needs of the enterprise change. Teams representing the best skills and experience for a particular project can be created, regardless of geography and time zones and with a minimal need for extra travel.

 

Flexible staffing

In activities that generate peaks and troughs of workload, telework can enable staff to work limited hours to match peak workload, without the staff concerned having to travel. In limited hours working the travel element can otherwise become as long as the work time. In some cases staff can be on "standby time" at home at retainer rates and then paid at higher rates when needed for active work.

 

Resilience

Organisations with effective teleworking programmes are more resilient in the face of external disruption - for example transport strikes, severe weather, natural disasters or terrorist action.

 

Enhanced customer service

Customer services can be extended beyond the working day or the working week without the costs of overtime payments or the need for staff to work (and travel) at unsocial hours.

Benefits for individuals

Reduced travel time and costs

This is the most obvious benefit and, for many teleworkers, a primary motivation. In our surveys, most teleworkers have used at least part of this time to get more work done, in contrast to the "relaxed lifestyle" image painted by the media.

 

Improved work opportunities

Work opportunities are not confined to jobs within reasonable commuting distance.

 

Less disruption to family life

An effective telework and flexible working programme reduces the need for relocation to take up "career moves" and other job changes.

 

Better balance of work and family life

Even though the teleworker may put in more hours of effective work, he or she can still expect to see more of the family and can more easily participate in home responsibilities such as ferrying children, shopping etc.

 

Participation in the local community

An important benefit for many rurally based teleworkers is being "on the spot" to participate in community activities - for example as a school governor or in local clubs and societies, at a time when commuters are still en route.

 

Flexible hours

A flexible approach to working hours often accompanies the successful teleworking programme. Each individual has a personal daily "rythm" - some are at their most lively and creative in the early morning, some late at night. Typical commuting patterns and office hours condemn everyone to work roughly the same timetable, while a flexible telework approach can mean individual freedom to stop and start according to what works best.

There are a number of potential drawbacks however worth considering:

If you find it difficult to motivate yourself or hate working alone, then we would suggest teleworking is not the thing for you.  Also you might want to take into account the space and technology available in your home.  Not everyone´s home is suitably equipped for teleworking.  Many employers however can help you with that and can provide wi-fi as well as grants for home desk, printers so ask your manager or your company HR department.