Work from home and Flexitime are here to stay

Yahoo’s recent statement “speed and quality are often sacrificed when we work from home” on its new “No work from home policy” is concerning employees everywhere. Every employee who has worked from home is familiar with the flexibility this set-up offers. You can balance your work targets with your family and social commitments. What more does an employee want? Despite the controversies, it seems the policies of “Work from home” and “Flexi-time” will continue to grow considering the benefit they offer.

Benefits for Employers

1. The policies of “Work from Home” and “Flexi-time” have proved to be great retention tools. People choose to work with employers who can offer them these additional yet necessary benefits.
2. Studies have proves that these benefits result in higher employee satisfaction, higher productivity and loyalty. Thus, it helps reducing employee turnover.
3. While hiring, employers prefer candidates who stay within reasonable distance and can afford commuting to work daily. These policies offer Employers the choice of hiring better talent as it’s not locations bounded.
4. This arrangement is cost effective. When you give your employees an option to work from home, you save on office space plus on other utilities like electricity, maintenance staff etc.
5. With “Flexi-time” policy employer can ensure employee’s presence in the office during the crucial business hours. This way employer can keep a check on employee availability.

Benefits to Employees

1. This arrangement offers cost benefits to employees too as they save on transportation.
2. Employees, specially working mothers can take care of their children while being at work.
3. With employees able to balance work and family, they don’t frequently go for leave or paid time off.
4. Reduce stress and fatigue in employees.

Despite the advantages, many employers feel that these benefits are often misused by employees. This holds true at times (my opinion). A well drafted guideline and strong control mechanism can help to manage remote employees at work.