Advantages and Disadvantages of Working from Home (WFH)
During the Coronavirus Pandemic, the adaption to WFH was fast and
furious for many organizations. But now
many companies are figuring out that it is the new normal and way forward
pandemic or not. The concept of WFH had
been practiced by company’s which are in the field of Fintech, IT giants
(MICROSOFT), Large sales force, E-Commerce business (AMAZON, WALLMART),
Facebook, Google and etc. In this article it is discussed about the advantages
and disadvantages of WFH.
Advantages of WFH
1. Improved Employee RetentionIt is a competitor advantage for company proving WFH facility for its staff. This will attract new talents to apply for suitable vacancies.
3. Financial Benefit
An organization can save on its Office space/rent, office supplies, Utility cost by adapting WFH. On employee perspective can reduce the traveling, apparel, entertainment costs.
4. Less Sickness Absence
In the pandemic situation, WFH gives the space for staff is safer rather being exposed to the office environment. Further, staffs are happy and motivated having work life balance and thereby can reduce unwanted absenteeism.
5. Technology adaption
Organization meetings, Learning and Development conducting source has shifted to MS Teams, Zoom etc from traditional physical presence. For an instance: At Hatton National Bank PLC the Promotional Interviews and Training Programs have evolved to conduct through MS Teams.
1. WFH doesn’t suit everyone
WFH can eliminate employee’s support and guidance required from a superior to complete a task. Situation in the house can be negative in terms of finding a dedicated working area, interruption of toddlers in the home.
2. Cost of WFH
Initial startup cost of Training and arranging proper working area is high, in terms of Laptops and other IT related equipment to work uninterrupted.
3. Information Security Risk
Organization must protect company’s and its customers’ data with high degree of security. With staff working remotely they will need access to the company servers and etc. Thereby an organization must take all precautionary measures in protecting its data by way of data encryption and limitation to vital data.
4. Technical Issues
The smooth functioning of WFH process can be interrupted by Poor internet connection, bad weather and its repercussions
5. Problems
with staff development
Since the staffs are not in close proximity it is difficult to maintain and monitor their knowledge and skill development. However, the company can adapt to E-Learning platforms to bridge this gap and constantly update its staffs on latest updates and advancements.
Anonymos, n.d. nibusinessinfo.co.uk.
[Online]
Available at: https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/advantages-and-disadvantages-employees-working-home
[Accessed 24 July 2021].
Moore, B. D., 2021. www.greatworklife.com.
[Online]
Available at: https://www.greatworklife.com/pros-and-cons-of-working-from-home/
[Accessed 24 July 2021].
Team, I. E., 2021. Indeed.com.
[Online]
Available at: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/the-pros-and-cons-of-working-from-home
[Accessed 22 July 2021].
Youtubelink: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuy9yQlFZAU
Very timely Topic. Work from home gives flexible working hours to the employee as well as the job for the employer is done with ease. Work from home is helpful to delivering work life balance to the employee, and also parallelly helps the company to get the work done. Nowadays, most of the employers are offering this option to their employees. There are both advantages and disadvantages with this work from home concept. But still most companies are offering this to its employees and this has been a new trend these days. However some people think the ideal way should be splitting the week with some days working from home and other days visiting office, by doing that many of the pitfalls can be taken care of. So this depends on employers which procedure to follow.
ReplyDeleteTimely topic Arun. Working from home opens up a new range of possibilities for the way organizations can work and structure themselves. With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, home working has given some employers the flexibility they need to continue their business operations while prioritizing staff and customer health and wellbeing as part of their public health responsibility. Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, working from home was on the increase as many employers identified the benefits that it can bring to their business and the improved work-life balance for their employees. As you have correctly mentioned there are both advantages and disadvantages.
ReplyDeleteVery optimistic about the situation! Some important things to consider are what environment we stay focused in the longest, how long it takes us to get back on track, and how you best communicate. If we’re self-motivated, adhere to a routine well, and enjoy minimal distractions, then working from home is the right choice. Thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteAlthough this impact has both benefits and drawbacks, you have effectively described them in your article. Working from home, in my experience, causes us to miss our colleagues and social networking opportunities.
ReplyDeleteWell written article.
ReplyDeleteIn another point of view, Laptops and internet connections are the basic tools you will need, but they may not be enough. You must have the communication tools and production software you usually use at work. Working effectively at home will require planning. Set a schedule, manage distractions, and set up a workspace. Once you do, you’ll maintain or even exceed the productivity you achieved in your company’s physical office.
Thank You Friends for your valuable feedback and inputs.
ReplyDeleteAt the initial stage of the pandemic, organizations have switched to work from home concept as a contingency plan without having proper tools and experience. However, uncertainty of the pandemic with rapid changers of virus variants, remote working and maintaining social distancing has become core features of new normal working environment. HRM has a vital part to ensure continuation of organization operation under the new normal while looking employee’s health and well-being during the pandemic
ReplyDeleteThe ongoing pandemic has given some employers, who may not have otherwise thought of working at home is an alternative for employees, a practical understanding of how it affects their business and workforce. It has enabled employers to see for themselves the pros and cons of working from home. These experiences can be very helpful in providing a future direction for workforce. Switching to Work from home does not mean that employees should only work at home. Often they can productively arrange their time between home and workplace. In the online platform organizations must come up with new strategies to take fully participation or involvement of the remote workers. Thankyou for sharing this interesting article Arun.
ReplyDeleteWFH is becoming trend in the global market as most companies prefer to let their employees to work remotely due to the Covid-19 and it also helps the organization to cut some overheads as well. But still there are cons such as employees tend to "moon-lighting" and it is very hard to asses the performance and employee engagement as well.
ReplyDeleteVery timely topic Arun. The Covid -19 pandemic has caused havoc on the global economy as we know it it has caused for the downfall of global giants & significant changes in our lifestyles, this statement is also true for the field on HRM work from home concept has began to expand as a result of this overall I think it's a great workaround for the various restrictions in placed. Well done overall the article has covered all of the most important aspects of the WFH concept.
ReplyDelete