Working From Home.

The burning question that is trending right now is the topic of working from home especially after Rishi Sunak said that “working from home is not nearly as “valuable” for young people’s career progression as going into the office” after the government changed its guidance.

I agree that young people need to be nurtured and need onsite training, they also need to be monitored for complacency. Young people left to their own devices (no pun intended) are more likely to spend more time on their phones than doing any work. Only focused people who are dedicated to their jobs will succeed, that is why it is imperative to keep an eye on young people especially school leavers. A more mature person will be more responsible.

Hence home office jobs should only be offered to people who are more than capable of setting critical time paths (CTP’s) and guarantee to get the job done by the given deadline.

A young person needs to learn the skills first and that usually needs to be onsite. They also need to have someone of authority (management) making sure they do the work properly and do not slack.

The advantages of working from home can be beneficial to both the employer and the employee. The employer will save on overheads of heating and lighting and coffee breaks. Whilst the employee will save money commuting to work.

However, there will be employers that will want to get their money’s worth and will expect their employees to work at the business location rather than home.

Employees, working from home on the other hand can boost productivity as the employee will get more done without the pressure from a normal working environment.

An employer that hires virtual assistants can save a lot of money rather than employing someone and having them on their books.

The employee will have a duty to their employer and an obligation to complete the assignments. If they are customer service telesales they have to have an area in their home designated without distractions. A virtual assistant is a subcontractor and will already be self-employed with their own office setup. A virtual assistant will already be supplying a service that would invoice for the job in question.

In an office, banter is kept to a minimum and people have less freedom to talk, whilst working from home you can do the work productively without the stress of your boss overhearing or management watching you.

Working from home is ideal for mums and disabled people. Disabled people can adapt their home around their office unlike a business adapting their office around the disabled person.

To work effectively from home, you’ll need to make sure you have the technology & equipment that you require, a separate workspace from your family and kids.

When working from home you also need good Internet service and speeds, you will also need a landline or a VoIP phone. You also need to treat your home office as a business and work the hours set out by your employer unless you work for yourself that is.

Top Hybrid Jobs for working remotely include information technology (IT) and healthcare; positions include customer service representatives, sales representatives, project managers, etc.

A lot of top companies such as Google, Microsoft do offer work remotely.

At the end of the day, it is up to the individual’s personal preference and personal circumstances if they would prefer to return to a normal office environment or work from home and the employer should give the opportunity providing deadlines are met. However, the bottom line will be whatever your employer wants rather than what you want.

FURTHER READING.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/15762396/rishi-sunak-warns-home-working-harm-career/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-58068998

#HybridWork #workfromhome #workremotely