Should staff be encouraged to work from home?
Encouraging your staff to work from home could bring your business significant savings – but is it right for your company?
Helen Thomas, managing director at Dyke Yaxley Chartered Accountants, in Shrewsbury, said every business owner was looking to cut costs, particularly in such tough economic times.
“With requests for flexible working on the increase, and technology becoming ever-more influential on the way we work, carrying out business away from the traditional office is much more common today.
“The growth of affordable internet access and technology means more businesses are now able to set up remote working bases away from the office.
“This can of course bring significant savings on the cost of running an office, including rental costs, furnishings, utility bills, maintenance and cleaning bills.”
Helen said such a move would also cut commuting times for your staff, and allowing them to work from home would give them a better work-life balance.
“Using virtual or serviced offices could allow you to substitute the cost of running a traditional office for a relatively small monthly outlay.
“Some of the flexible packages on offer range from using an address and mail forwarding services, to a full-time work station with receptionists, telephone answering service, IT services, security and access to meeting rooms.”
But Helen warned that remote working was not the answer for all companies and their workforces.
“You need to carefully consider requests from staff to work away from the office – are they reliable and self-motivated? And wherever they are based, your staff should have a dedicated working area, free from distractions, and they should be available to come in to the office for key meetings or team events.”
Helen said staff must also have access to the necessary technology so they could work efficiently and stay in touch with other members of your team.
“Security is also a vital consideration, so your company must have measures in place to cover certain issues including securing sensitive data, and the loss or theft of equipment.
“Being open to flexible working arrangements can have many benefits for your business, but you need to consider the implications carefully before giving staff the go-ahead.”
