Research by the Office for National Statistics found that nearly a quarter of British workers would rather work from home one day a week than receive a pay rise, while seven million admit they suffer from procrastination or inertia issues when working in an office.
While employee engagement experts tout ways to increase workforce productivity, one quick and convincing answer is: send staff home. Working from home is succeeding as an employee incentive for many organisations, yet some still hold the belief that it invites an abuse of trust — questioning whether employees will really be getting their work done.
Trust is a two-way street, and the evidence is clear: give people the tools and guidelines to work from home and they will repay that trust with more than just productivity. Here are five ways in which home working boosts workforce productivity.
1. Home Working Decreases Absenteeism
An annual report survey, the CIPD and Simplyhealth Absence Management report, provides some interesting findings on workplace absenteeism. Based on replies from 578 organisations across the UK in reference to 1.5 million employees, the average level of employee absence had increased slightly compared with 2014, from 6.6 to 6.9 days per employee, although it remained lower than in 2013 at 7.6 days.
The most common reasons for absenteeism include sickness — stress, mental and physical health — bullying, childcare issues, flexibility and work-life balance. The estimated cost of absence to UK employers is around £550 per employee per year, making it well worth looking for ways around these issues.
Working from home during times of stress — so long as the employee is well enough, of course — impacts positively on morale and on stress levels. It is not a coincidence that fewer people call in sick to organisations with flexible working practices.
2. Home Working Increases Employee Retention
Employees leaving cost companies time and money. Harvard Business Review evidences how, by simply enabling employees to work from home, organisations are reducing staff turnover. Home working is now worth more than a pay rise to many people, and they think twice before leaving an organisation without this benefit. The same logic works when it comes to recruitment — many organisations are losing talent not because of pay, but because of the opportunity offered by alternative employers to work from home on occasion.
3. Home Working Improves Employee Engagement
In a recent article, Workers Get More Done From Home, an HR Manager shared some reasons why employees are more engaged when out of the office. The experience of many organisations echoes this — at home, people are less easily distracted by sounds, office politics, tea break gossip or the office attention seeker.
Research by Gallup also reports that working remotely breeds higher engagement — but interestingly, only in the case of employees who spend less than 20% of their total working time doing so. This suggests that face-to-face communication remains essential. Keeping home workers in the loop helps them feel less isolated, and giving team members a chance to brainstorm and bond means that setting aside time for a regular catch-up with home workers is always a worthwhile investment.
4. Home Working Improves Employee Wellbeing
Employees are increasingly looking for a better work-life balance. The opportunity to work from home affords a better lifestyle and encourages a more positive outlook. MentalHealth.org estimates that nearly three in every ten employees will experience a mental health problem in any one year. The recent and dramatic rise in working hours in Britain suggests this figure is likely to increase. A key way to protect employees' mental health against work-related stress is by ensuring they have a healthy work-life balance.
Working from home enables this. Employees are able to manage their own time and schedule with less stress. When in the office or on the road, there is often little control over what is eaten, how much is spent on food, and when a natural break can be taken. Working from home can make all the difference — giving greater control over health and fitness, and enabling planning around lunch, exercise, and time away from the screen.
5. Home Working Boosts Productivity
In the UK, nearly six in ten workers — 57% — believe they get more done working from home, according to research by online retailer CartridgePeople.com. The study of 1,096 British workers, titled the SOHO (Small Office/Home Office) Workers Report, found that just 5% reported that working from home had a negative effect on their productivity, with only 12% feeling they were more easily distracted at home.
According to an article in Bloomberg, a study was carried out with nurses who, for a year, worked six-hour days on an eight-hour salary. Their productivity increased, as did the quality of care for patients. The nurses reported increases in happiness and energy levels too.
Applying the same logic to working from home, it becomes far easier to enter a state of flow, hone in on various tasks for the day and achieve higher levels of output and satisfaction. The confidence gained through having to manage independently has enabled consistently higher performance rates among home workers.
Making the Business Case for Home Working
Reduced absenteeism, improved retention, improved engagement, improved wellbeing and improved productivity — the business case for home working is a compelling one. Making it work, however, takes more than just adding a paragraph to an employee benefits page, intranet, job descriptions or induction guides. It requires providing employees with the right technology, as well as clear guidelines on how to stay on track.
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