Development in communication and technology has made mobile working easier than ever, and the number of home-based workers in the UK is on the increase.
There are some real perks of working from home; it can cut out that long commute, give you more time to spend with the family and help improve work-life balance. However, home-based working does come with its own set of challenges.
What are the challenges of working from home?
One of the main reasons people choose to work from home is to improve their work-life balance, but research by AXA Business Insurance revealed that work can start to bleed into personal time. Over half of home-workers surveyed found that making sure that they had a clear divide between home and work was a real hurdle that they had to overcome.
You may be working from home as a small business and have employees working remotely. Finding the right space to work in the home is important to a productive business. Whilst AXA’s research revealed that a third of those surveyed had a dedicated office, others may use bedrooms, reception rooms or even the garden shed.
Home-based workers may also feel unsupported, unappreciated and unengaged. Remoteness can make employees feel threatened, like everyone else is getting on and getting noticed. It can also become more difficult for employers to identify problems and pick up on health and wellbeing issues when they don’t see their employees everyday. They may be well connected with mobile phones and email, but this virtual communication cannot always substitute the regular face to face interaction.