Codestone

Category: Workforce mobility

Companies that allow their staff to enjoy home working have been warned that one of the major challenges they face is to ensure workers get the balance between life and work just right.

New research by the Economic and Social Research Institute has found that the benefits of home working tend to be more significant in higher-earning positions.

The major worry is that family life and social activities start to blend with professional commitments, blurring a person's overall being.

"Workers who commute to the workplace may have to sit in traffic in the mornings and evenings, but they at least get to switch off," Dr Helen Russell stated.

There are many benefits attached to home working, from increased productivity to lower costs for both employer and employee, but getting the balance right is the key to realising these.

The findings appear to back up the thoughts of professor Timothy Golden, of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, who said recently that firms should choose home working candidates wisely.

Posted by Victoria Browne