Working from home makes for greater productivity and less stress

On the fourth day of Work Wise Week, the focus was 'Working from Home Day' and the benefits this can bring for both organisations and the individual. 

The aim of the Work Wise campaign is to promote smarter working practices such as flexible, remote and mobile working as well as working from home.  It aims to give half the working population - some 14 million people - the opportunity to work smarter by 2011.

Recent research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development has highlighted that almost seven out of ten employers when interviewed, believed that offering flexible working improved staff morale and productivity, so when Tom Pape was offered the chance to work from home on days when he would normally be in the office, he jumped at the chance.

As a Business Improvement Consultant for BT, the 60-mile round commute from his home in Rothbury in Northumberland to his office in Newcastle city centre was beginning to take its toll on his work~life balance, not to mention his bank balance as a result of rising fuel costs. 

Some four years later, he is a huge advocate of remote working for a number of reasons, not least of which is the extra time he has to enjoy home life each week.

He said:  "It is not a good use of anyone's time, spending two hours in your car each day - whether that is personal time or business time.  I had worked for BT for seven years when I was given the chance to work from home on a trial basis and it has made a huge difference to my life on every level - my work~life balance has improved significantly and importantly for any employer, I am much more productive in my job for BT.

"I rely heavily on the phone for conference calls which is just as effective as being in a meeting, but it allows me to communicate with people in India or anywhere else in the world without opening my front door.  In fact, I can do everything I used to do in the office, but the savings in time and cost are enormous."

The advances in technology and the wider take up of broad band have dramatically opened up remote working possibilities for employers and at a time when many are looking to reduce costs, there has never been a better time to consider more flexible ways of working.

In his role for BT, Tom is responsible for reviewing and improving business operations to reduce costs, improve efficiency and make BT number one for customer service across the UK which sees him regularly travelling around the country.

He continues:  "As an individual, it is important to set clear distinctions between home time and work time because it is easy to find yourself putting in a ten hour day when you are not subject to the regular patterns of office routine.  It is important to find a balance between working at home and getting out of the house for meetings so that you benefit from some level of social interface.  I am fortunate in this regard because my job also takes me to a number of other major cities - not every day - but maybe a few times a month, so it is possible to strike a good balance. 

"You also need to be able to work unsupervised and enjoy your own company to a certain extent.   Working from home does not suit everyone, but it has been a real break through for me.  I would encourage anyone to try it if they are given the opportunity."

Sarah Stewart, project director for Work Wise North East, added:

"As a supporter of home-working myself, having established a home-based consultancy business over 15 years ago, I believe it is an area that all employers should be considering if they want to start working smarter.  The benefits of working in this manner cannot be ignored in this difficult economic climate."

In BT's case, roughly 15 per cent of employees work from a home base like Tom with 75 per cent operating in a 'nomadic' fashion but with an office or home base. 

This type of business reorganisation has reduced BT's property estate by about 50 per cent over 15 years - which makes a significant impact on accommodation and occupation costs such as heating, lighting and office consumables. A home worker costs around �3k per annum whereas an office worker can cost up to �18k, so a switch pays back within a year.