A recent BBC programme “Should we still be working from home” aired on Monday 20 January 2025:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m00276pd/panorama-should-we-still-be-working-from-home
It has started various debates on Linkedin with regards to the advantages and disadvantages. In 2012 I wrote a blog about the rise of working from home and remote working: https://sjbealehrconsult.co.uk/blog/the-rise-of-home-working/.
Since COVID working from home has increased dramatically. Now employers are kicking back with many insisting that employees return to office working with the unions stepping in to protect public sector workers rights. Many hybrid roles are being advertised with a requirement to be in the office 2 or 3 days a week with the remainder of the working week at home. The BBC programme seemed to show that working at home is mainly done on Mondays and Fridays with the number of people using the London Tube on Fridays vastly reduced. This is a lot different to pre-COVID.
In 2012 I wrote how the rise of homeworking and remote working had been facilitated by the increased use of high speed broadband (now Fibre), Skype, laptops, tablet computers and hand held devices facilitating the ability to work wherever we like. Since 2012 there has been a huge rise in the use of Microsoft Teams and Zoom. In 2012 one in twelve people were working at home on either a full time or part time basis. In 2022 almost ten million people were working from home. In 2012 the top 25 home office hot spots are were all in the South East and the Office of National Statistics Labour Force Survey indicated that that 2/3 of home workers were men. The BBC programme aired this week featured a male employee working from home employed by the ONS. In 2022 the ONS published an article on whether hybrid working is here to stay:
A challenging economy in 2012 had forced employers to cut back on costs, such as office expenses, and let people work remotely. This has dramatically increased since COVID with many offices no longer in use and many being converted to homes. There was also evidence in 2012 that many people were starting home based businesses. A trend which has continued. Furthermore working from home contributes to the “green” economy and the carbon footprint with less polluting cars on the road.
There are many advantages to this type of working, which we can all recognise; the work-life balance is much improved without the stress of struggling to work every day on the congested road and increasingly disorganised rail systems. So much time is saved by not having to get up at the crack of dawn to get to the office on time and exhaustion is a distant memory. We can now wake up, leisurely eat a decent breakfast in the comfort of our home then get the kids to school before sitting down to the computer to start the working day either in a spare bedroom or bespoke office in the house or garden.
As long as we meet our targets and maintain our usual output, the hours we work need not be fixed if our work (and where relevant our manager) dictates, so that by working flexibly we have the time to do that bit of shopping or attend that dentist appointment during the day.
Having set up and completed a risk assessment on the work area to comply with health and safety what could be easier than working from home?
The reality is, however, that it doesn’t suit everyone. Working from home can be very isolating. How many of us actually see our neighbours and friends during the day now – they are all out at work! Being alone day after day with no social interaction can be very lonely without that “over the photocopier” chat, gossip with the tea-lady or the office Friday pub lunch where we can look forward to the weekend.
For those individuals prone to depression working from home can become a nightmare with the distinction between work and home becoming a blur.
The saying “out of sight out of mind” might apply with a perception of being ignored by the company, if we are an employee, can set in, only getting the odd phone call to check that performance targets have been reached and to find out when the monthly figures will be sent in where relevant. In such circumstances a feeling of de-motivation and being under-valued can occur and lead to a drop in performance.
Working from home is ideal for self-starters who can discipline themselves to work set hours so that there is a clear distinction between work and home. Line managers of such individuals have to have the experience and skill to be able to manage at a distance and understand the issues that may arise.
First and foremost, the type of work needs to be adaptable to home-working such as administration, freelance interviewing and sales.
The company needs to ensure there is a home working policy in place that covers issues such as health and safety, equipment safety, data protection, communication and performance management. There should be consideration to having a home working checklist. These documents should be communicated well to the workforce with clear procedures in place.
The line manager needs to be able to encourage team interaction by organising team meetings at a single location on a regular basis to provide valuable information on what is happening within the business, eg and training & promotional opportunities. Perhaps video conferencing with Teams and Zoom could replace physical group meetings when these are not possible. Such get-togethers should be supplemented by phone calls and emails to keep in touch.
The line manager needs to be able to communicate clear goals and the standards expected within the home-based role and be equipped with the tools for measurement and assessment of work quality to ensure that everything is satisfactory. Training for line managers in managing home-workers should be considered.
Recruitment to a remote based role must be geared around employing individuals who are used to remote working or have the ability to adapt if they have always worked in an office. Management of their probation period is important to ensure the new employee is settling in and performing well.
Security of information and data protection should be a high priority. A decision should be taken whether to give remote workers full or controlled access to network links using an IT security risk assessment. The issue of company laptops with encryption software, for example, would reduce the possibility of disaster with important corporate documents getting mixed up with the children’s homework or theft from the boot of a car.
Also the installation of virus protection and guidelines on authorised use of additional software and prohibition of USB sticks and floppy discs (now outdated) to transport data should be essential.
Information on using secure servers and taking daily back ups should be incorporated into an IT security policy both for remote (and office) workers giving details on not sharing passwords, not opening suspicious email attachments and visiting work-related websites only. Clear instructions for not modifying any company spreadsheets and macros without authorisation can also help to provide guidelines on what is acceptable IT use.
Companies considering implementing home or remote working should think about running a pilot scheme to see if it is feasible and practical for business and individual needs before making a commitment.
Working from home and remote working is now embedded in the UK work culture much more so than it was in 2012 supported by modern technology. The debate will continue for years to come I am sure.