Is it better to work from home?

A Swiss study has found that the background noise, artificial ventilation and bright lights of a big office results in lower productivity and staff taking more sick days. Swedish researchers found that those with long commutes take more sick days than average workers.

Working from home certainly has its attractions. There is no commute, no boss standing over your shoulder, no distractions and you don't even have to change out of your PJs! It also allows you to be flexible with your time, especially if you have children. 

Whether it is called remote working, teleworking, e-working, telecommuting, working from home is on the rise. More than a quarter of directors of small and medium businesses surveyed by O2 this summer said they work from home for at least five days a month. 

Working from home has always been an option for some people working in the self-employed market, as a freelance journalist, for example. With email, mobile phones and a reliable internet connection, you can be contactable 24/7. 

However, working from home can be more difficult than you think. It can be difficult to switch off from work when  the computer is only in the next room. The fact that you are always contactable means that there is no "clocking off" at 5pm. It can also be isolating, the office environment is, by nature, sociable. Working from home you don't have the same contact. Not surprisingly, those who do make the commute to work everyday tend to have a tarnished view of those working from home, sitting down to watch day time TV before they get started. Those working from home must be self disciplined, after all, the hours they put in is reflected in the money they earn. 

"It depends on the employee, if the work they do can be done at home, and how they are monitored," says Mark Fielding, CEO of Irish Small and Medium Enterprises. Whole new ways of managing have to be introduced. The old-fashioned manager needs to see you coming in the door and in your seat. A few years later, the same companies were singing its (remote working's) praises. They had cut their overheads and in some cases, increased productivity." ( (Irish Independent, Sept 12)

Working from home isn't for everyone, nor is it for every business. But certainly more employers and employees are giving it a go.  

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