Is Telecommuting Right for Your Employees?

In an age when a growing number of positions require tasks to be performed nearly specifically on computers, and where the Internet can instantly connect anyone anywhere, lots of businesses are wrestling with the concept of permitting employees to work from home. While many employees are quick to support the concept, the nontraditional technique of telecommuting is foreign to many companies, leaving them uneasy about how it will impact their operations.

There is no definitive response regarding whether telecommuting will be good or bad for your company. It includes both advantages and disadvantages that can be influenced by a variety of elements such as business environment, type of work, and private workers. Because of all the variables that can affect the success or failure of staff members working from home, most circumstances need to be looked at on a case-by-case basis.

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So, are you all in with the 21st-century look of working from home? Keep reading to learn more about the pros and cons of working from home!

Benefits

If applied in the best circumstances, telecommuting can have a variety of potential advantages for both your company and its employees:

Eliminating the commute: Telecommuting turns the potentially big block of time wasted during the commute to and from the office every day into time that staff members can invest in working. The lack of a commute indicates companies no longer need to deal with tardiness caused by traffic accidents and weather conditions. Getting rid of an unneeded drive to and from the office every day decreases the possibility of accidents if workers are utilizing company cars. With fewer automobiles on the road every day and fewer accidents on your company's record, the expense of car premiums will fall.

Space saver: If you wish to include more personnel but do not have space, telecommuting can save you from the restrictions of your current offices. Less office with fewer workers and less costly devices indicates not just lower energy and upkeep expenses, but also lower insurance premiums.

Fewer ill days: Employees operating at the house have little direct contact with coworkers, indicating that they will be less likely to catch a cold or flu that might be going around the office. Even if a work-at-home staff member does end up being ill, they are most likely to remain efficient considering that their health problem does not affect their ability to come into the office. Fewer sick employees mean lower overall operating expenses and higher efficiency for your organization.

Bring in and maintain staff members: Studies have shown that a bulk of workers prefer the alternative of telecommuting jobs. Not only does this boost the morale and job satisfaction of current workers, but it can likewise be valuable when recruiting new employees. Working with and maintaining the very best employees will help you save time and money on training, and more seasoned employees tend to have fewer injuries, contributing to lower workers’ compensation premiums.

Prospective Risks

While it can be extremely advantageous, telecommuting has some potential risks that your company must consider before it allows staff members to work from home:

Limited staff member guidance: One of the leading reasons companies are wary of permitting workers to work from home is the inability to precisely keep track of how time is utilized throughout the day. The loss caused by ineffective employees, one substantial problem with the lack of guidance is the ease with which a worker can make fraudulent workers' compensation claims. When injuries take place in the home instead of on-site, there is typically no witness to verify that it happened while the employee was performing company responsibilities and not while working on personal tasks around the house or home office. If employees make abusive workers' compensation claims, policy premiums can increase. In general, telecommuting scenarios blur the line between what is and is not compensable under employees' compensation laws.

Devices expenses: There is equipment that an employee will require to work from home, particularly a computer and an Internet connection. They might also require other devices to help them communicate with their fellow staff members. If the employee does not already have these things, the business will be required to spend money for them. Including these expenses to the logistics of preserving and repairing IT devices that are far from your primary place of business, can become a considerable investment for businesses thinking about telecommuting.

Limited face-to-face time: Employees working from home are not as associated with the culture of your company. Not having a staff member physically readily available for a conference or discussion can be an added headache for those operating in the workplace. Employees working from home might have a harder time being recognized for promotion or other developments. This might result in lower morale, and, again, issues with worker retention.

Security: The basis of telecommuting is making use of the Internet. When a worker is at the workplace, his or her work is secured by security requirements that keep your business's network and data protected. Nevertheless, a staff member working from home may not have the same safety measures in place to safeguard the business information they might be working on. Make certain staff members are provided with security software and that you have the correct protection, such as a cyber liability policy, to protect against a potential information breach.

Stop Problems Before They Start

If you allow staff members to telecommute, make sure you set up a recognized program to minimize the dangers. Decide on what kinds of positions in your business will be open to enable telecommuting and information on what is expected of workers when it concerns performance and time usage. Be sure to institute security requirements that will keep sensitive company information safe at home offices. Having standards in place will assist your policy of telecommuting without letting it disrupt your business or cause increased liabilities and expenses.