Because of the corona virus, many companies have taken the necessary measure to have their employees work from home as much as possible. Working from home has advantages and disadvantages. With the right policy, you can take advantage of the advantages and limit the disadvantages.
4 advantages
1. No travel time and travel expenses:
No more standing in traffic jams, no time wasted traveling, less fatigue and, of course, no travel expenses. Without a doubt, one of the main advantages of working from home.
2. Higher productivity:
Research shows that with the right facilities, good arrangements with the employer and a tight schedule, employees are more productive from home than in the office. It is comfortable, you are less often disturbed and you can arrange your own time perfectly. Working from home also means less sick leave.
3. Work more efficiently:
Working from home is efficient. Open the laptop when you want and get straight to work. Need to do something in the evening or on the weekend? No problem. Starting extra early or a little later than usual? No problem.
4. Better work-life balance:
Working in the office from 9 to 5 creates a strict separation between work and home. But this can cause problems. Working from home makes you more flexible and improves work-life balance. Accepting a package or being home when the plumber comes is easy. Conversely, you can still work outside regular working hours, such as in the evening.
"We are happy to share our knowledge and experience in this area with you in a webinar next Tuesday, March 24, at 4 p.m."
4 drawbacks
1. Social isolation:
Many people experience working from home as more boring than in the office or even as lonely. No coffee maker chat or spontaneous conversation, but chatting, emailing or calling by appointment. Even remotely, it is important to have a relaxed and social conversation now and then. It promotes mood, engagement and togetherness.
2. Additional facilities needed:
A good desk, comfortable office chair, quiet room, PC, keyboard, mouse, extra screen, phone, headset, software, good Internet connection, other connections to access company data and systems, etc. It takes a lot to work well from. And that must also be in line with regulations such as health and safety, privacy and security.
3. Increased risk of stress:
Working from home increases the likelihood of stress. At some point you don't know where to start, have too many distractions around you or just miss interacting with colleagues. A tight schedule is then all the more important. Plan your day well and divide the work into small blocks to avoid getting stressed out.
4. More difficult collaboration and leadership:
Much work can be done just fine remotely. Via mail, chat, phone or online meeting. But for some things, meeting face-to-face is convenient or even necessary. Think of a performance review, brainstorming session, lengthy consultation or the start of a new project. Where possible, it is advisable to temporarily put such sessions on hold or be extra vigilant that they run smoothly online.
Sign up for our webinar!
At Dysel, we have a lot of experience with remote collaboration and communication. Are you still running into problems or could you use some tips on how to work more productively from home? We are happy to share our knowledge and experience in this area with you in a webinar next Tuesday, March 24 at 4:00 pm.
René van der Linden and Hans Dewaide deal with the many issues related to working from home. The right facilities, technology, connections and software, but also the human side: how to make working from home comfortable, pleasant and productive instead of lonely and stressful? Click here to sign up!
Teun Arts is Service Manager at Dysel and ensures that customers make optimal use of the software's capabilities, now and in the future.
