Employers and staff stand to gain if they agree on ‘work from home’ plan

Cast your mind back to your early childhood. How many cars were in your neighbourhood? Back to present day, how many cars are in your area of residence?

Globally, there has been a surge in the number of people who own cars. This was inevitable with growing economies and better remuneration, offering the working population increased opportunity to own a car, though this was once a luxury.

However, the prestige of driving one’s own car, is coming at a steep price for some. Due to the rise in the number of cars on the road, there has been a correlated increase in the time spent travelling to and from work.

We are no longer racing against each other to own the latest car model, but to zoom out of our driveways to beat the morning traffic in our daily commute to work.

TRAFFIC

If you travel to work by car, on average how long do you sit in traffic on a weekly basis? Multiply that time by 48 weeks, which excludes annual leave and public holidays. What you get is the amount of time you waste on the road every year. The time spent idling in traffic jams depends on one’s proximity to his or her work. This is the time a worker could have been spent at the breakfast table with his or family or getting a morning or evening workout to make one a healthier employee.

Sitting in traffic may seem like a non-issue at first glance, but it is both physically tiring and mentally draining.

By the time an employee gets to work he is likely to be demotivated. As a result, their level of productivity will not be as high compared to a colleague who spends less time on the road.

EXHAUSTED

Equally, those who spend more time in traffic from work to their homes are exhausted and stressed, leaving little room for them to enjoy leisure activity with their families. However, one looks at it, the time spent in a traffic jams is harmful to health as it elevates stress levels, anger and anxiety.

Which brings us to the question: What difference would working from home even if for one day a week make in the lives of employees?

This arrangement has also been referred to as the gig economy. The gig economy is one of the most attractive career avenues especially for millennials, which is also the largest workforce demographic. Why have a full time job when you can have a career that allows you to work from home occasionally? Better still, why not be your own boss working under your own terms?

INTERNET

With internet connectivity, one can easily become a freelance worker or consultant working for different companies concurrently.

If employers want to access and subsequently retain the high calibre of talent they have vigorously recruited and trained to fit into their working culture, there has to be room for flexibility in working arrangements.

Employers should consider allowing employees to work from home, remotely or away from the traditional office environment, even if it means working from a restaurant or any other conducive environment. This will enable them to remain at top efficiency, highly motivated and content with their jobs.

The added advantage is that employers will also be offering their workers stability which the gig economy does not guarantee, engendering loyalty within the organisation, which in turn leads to low employee turnover.

PRODUCTIVITY

The initial benefit of the employee working from home or remotely is that they can begin working immediately their shifts commence or even earlier.

The demotivation that affects employees’ productivity is eliminated because no energy is wasted sitting in traffic. That means they can work at full capacity.

There are also less distractions compared to the office environment where one has to face unscheduled queries, debates with colleagues and other non-productive activities.

From a social point of view, working from home is beneficial for parents as this gives them precious time to catch up with their children during breaks, especially during the holidays. Equally important, employees doubling up as carers for family members with health challenges get to spend more time with their loved ones. When all is considered, if employers offer their staff more flexible working arrangements, this could boost productivity, leading to a win for both the companies and the workers.

 The writer works with international businesses on commercial litigation. [email protected]