Firms have been saddled with an increasing number of rulings from successive Governments in the past few decades. While there are some matters which have become very high profile, such as health and safety legislation and financial issues, every business function has been involved to some degree. Hiring and employing people has always been one of the most affected fields in this regard. Indeed, an extract from a 2009 CBI report on the UK’s Enterprise Policy pronounced their thoughts on the matter – “The area of employment regulation is especially burdensome.”
One feature which has been the subject of a great deal of deliberation in the past few years is flexible working. Permitting people to Work From Home if their job content is suitable was perceived as a way for thefirm to retain their knowledge should their personal circumstances change. In the past changes such as parenthood, injury or the need to look after dependents frequently meant that people had to resign from their jobs. While flexible working might be very helpful to both parties, there are some aspects which must be firm before people are provided with the option to Work From Home.
One of the major considerations should be the costs involved. The recent recession has compelled a great number of companies to suffer reductions in their profit margins and the cost to permit people to choose flexible working should be keenly assessed. Items such as computers, office equipment and the necessary communication technology, all of which are in place at the company’s offices, will need to be replicated at the worker’s home. Some training might be required in the technology needed to work independently of the office. In addition, the workspace at home may need to be adapted, or in extreme cases, created. If the worker is only going to Work From Home from time to time, then the return on these costs will be decreased. It must be noted that only three per cent of existing flexible workers do so on a permanent basis and it is very likely that these people will be working for a modern Internet Business which will have a lot of people doing Online Jobs.
The employer will need to be certainthat the work can be done just as efficiently at home as it would be in the office. Any role which requires frequent interaction with colleagues or needs to be closely checked by management will not be appropriate. Similarly, any work of a sensitive nature should stay within the office to avoid any potential security problems with confidential information. As well as that of the job function, the suitability of the staff themselves is a crucial factor to take into account. While the general hubbub of a busy office environment can be a distraction to some, the temperament to Work From Home is not present in everyone. People would need to be made aware of, and comfortable with, the isolation which accompanies working at home. This is probably the main reason why working from home on a permanent basis is only undertaken by three per cent of Great Britain’s workforce. A mixture of office and home working will often be a better solution.
So, the decision is not a straightforward one if you are not an Internet Business with a lot of Online Jobs. While it may be perceived as a luxury, not a necessity, to propose flexible working to people, there are flexible working regulations which require companies to “seriously consider” any request for it from those employees with children under 16, disabled children under 18 or certain types of adult dependents.
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