Encourage businesses to expand home working

My understanding from my home working friends is that it is mostly working. Businesses who are able to might use this time to explore how they could increase working from home for their employees. For some businesses, this could reduce their reliance on physical premises. The freeing up of some physical premises might enable buildings to be used for alternative purposes, for example, more housing.

Why the contribution is important

It will encourage more flexible working patterns which is particularly great for women. It will reduce commuting which is good for the environment. It will reduce business overheads potentially enabling them to continue employing more people. It could provide physical buildings which might be used to alleviate the housing shortage.

by DrLJC on May 10, 2020 at 06:05PM

Current Rating

Average rating: 4.9
Based on: 22 votes

Comments

  • Posted by JLMBD May 10, 2020 at 18:27

    Quite agree, if working from home still provides a good business model then it should be encouraged - but also be voluntary. I know people currently working from home and enjoying it but I also know people who want to be back in an office with people around them. There are some businesses, especially science based ones that need laboratory access that couldn't be home-based but there are many that could. Less transport would be good for personal finances and good for the environment too.
  • Posted by OldDeuteronomy May 10, 2020 at 18:28

    Good idea in theory, but in practice not every employee is able to work from home and, for those who do, productivity is generally not up to speed as when working from an office. Flexibility is not, unfortunately, suitable for all businesses.
  • Posted by JLMBD May 10, 2020 at 18:59

    I think productivity varies, in some cases it is better because there is more time without the commute, in others the lack of peer pressure and work social function is detrimental. Every business is different but where it works well it could be encouraged.
  • Posted by Tnahsiram007 May 10, 2020 at 22:56

    I agree that for the right type of business wfh can work very effectively. The resultant reduction in traffic pollution alone is a reason to encourage this. Of course it won’t suit all but where it does work more of it please.
  • Posted by Homebird May 11, 2020 at 09:09

    I think it would be really helpful longer term to legislate in support of home working. Not to make it compulsory, but to mean employers have to try to make provision for it as standard, in the same way they have to consider flexible working. It reduces transport issues, reduces childcare issues, and as a professional who has worked, commuted and juggled childcare, the time it has freed up for me has been really positive and I feel like there's balance in my life for the first time ever. A previous request to work at home was refused outright but now I'm managing to continue to do my job, be productive and pull my weight, even though my kids are home, it would seem so unreasonable for my employer to be able to refuse again in the future. I've proved myself now, and there must be others like me.
  • Posted by Rhodamac May 11, 2020 at 10:01

    Very much agree with homebird. Having the flexibility to home from home has decreased my stress, often from commuting and working in a noisy open plan space and increased my productivity. Employers should be encouraged to support staff to work from home if the worker wishes too and can do and where not detrimental to business
  • Posted by SimonandLynRay May 11, 2020 at 10:37

    Totally agree with this. If people can work from home they should be encouraged to do so. Only where people absolutely need to go to work should they be doing so.
  • Posted by GeoC May 11, 2020 at 13:13

    Home working should be insentivised with even financial or tax insentives for business and workers. Also grants for reuired harware - secure severs and communications might be worth considering
  • Posted by JohnED May 11, 2020 at 21:54

    There should also be an incentive or relief to those working from home to cover the additional costs in electricity, heating and braoddband.
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