Is it Time Your Employees Worked From Home?

Whether it’s down to workplace culture, or employee envy, working from home has a stigma attached. According to the Office of National Statistics, 87 per cent of people still have office-based jobs, despite the phenomenal opportunities that cloud computing can present. Large companies are more likely to allow remote working compared to SMEs, despite the clear cost and efficiency savings.

Sir Richard Branson is a famous supporter of home-based working, although this is hardly surprising; he lives on a tropical island. For the rest of us, is working from home a viable option?

People ARE More Productive at Home

If you prefer to have staff in your office, ask yourself why. Is it that you don’t trust them? Or you want managers to be able to easily discipline poor performers? Are you measuring people’s performance based on their attendance, rather than the things they’re getting done?

Remote working is often seen as a bit of a joke – a chance to watch daytime TV, or munch Cheerios through conference calls. In fact, remote working boosts productivity. Stanford University’s researchers found that remote workers are 13 per cent more productive. They take fewer days off sick, and benefit from fewer workplace distractions, despite the pile of laundry in the corner.

In a US survey, 65 per cent of the employees who worked from home said they felt they were more productive. You might be surprised at the boost to output.

Staff DO Need Perks to Stay Loyal

When it comes to performance and productivity, incentives are a key driver. The happier your employees are, the more likely it is that they’ll engage, and the less likely they are to seek another job.

Want to give your staff the ultimate incentive? Do away with the daily commute, and let them log on to a hosted desktop from home. Free everyone from the tyranny of tube stations and traffic jams. Give them the gift of extra hours in the day.

If you embed remote working into the culture of your workforce, they’ll likely stay loyal long term.

Employers DO Need to Offer Choice

Ask any office worker with kids how they feel about the school summer holidays. Chances are, they’ll tell you it’s miserable, stressful and expensive. The kids are out of school, but they’re stuck at work, with the only respite being an expensive holiday.

Remote and flexible working policies give your employees options. Granted, you might not be able to offer unlimited holidays, but you could let people arrange work around their children.

It’s also important to recognise difference. Some employees like coming into the office. They would feel lost with a laptop at home. Why not offer those employees a combination of flexitime and remote working, with a hosted desktop solution that gives them the freedom to take work home.

Will You Change the Future of Work?

60 per cent of office workers will work from home by 2022, according to figures from Virgin Media Business. Is it time you set your employees free?

Speak to Cloud4 today, and find out how our hosted desktop solutions can let your staff log on from anywhere, boosting satisfaction, retention and output.