Home Working – is it a disappointment or the best answer for manager and employee?

Ever since the early 1990’s gurus from various areas of the workplace industry
(property, IT, behavioural) have been tantalizing us with the new world where most of us Work From Home. This new world order based on the expansion in technology and a new generation of Internet Business entrepreneurs has promised much but actually would appear to have failed to deliver.

Firstly, the premise that a large number of us would effectively have what amounts to online jobs has not happened. The definition of online jobs in this instance is not usual, the model developed by workplace experts would see the vast majority of corporate employees employed to work from home, links to the office would be via their Laptop. While in most cases these people would have contacts on a regular basis with management and team members they would in actual fact carry out their tasks via the PC, therefore in essence they will have Online Jobs.

The truth of how working patterns have changed is however, somewhat different. There is no doubt that there has been a growth in flexible working, by which is meant the facility to work in a number of different places and a degree of choice and independence displayed by the employee in selecting the most suitable location for that work but whatever the advances in technology, broadband availability and changes in management traditions the sea change just hasn’t happened.

There are a number of explanations why not. Firstly, while growth in technology have made remote working possible, changes in the nature of work have made it undesirable. Workplace behaviourists have observed that the vast majority of office based workers now regraded as knowledge workers, produce output concepts, services and strategies. In order for them to function effectively they need clients.

Secondly, the quantum of the effect of flexible working behaviours has been impossible to confirm. So while the property costs and benefits are easily measured the real benefits in terms of the contribution to core business of the firm can not be evaluated, even in the case of an Internet Business, where the complete transaction takes place online, there is still a case for co-location and contact which cannot be proven or discounted.

With these two opposite factors the growth of flexible working has been sluggish and until workplace industry can demonstrate the benefits of productivity or make a solid case for no human contact then it is doubtful we will see the promised sea change in working patterns and behaviours.