Working in the Office vs. Working from Home

COVID-19 has meant that millions across the globe made the transition from working in the office to working from home. As we ease our way out of the pandemic, employers and employees alike have recognized the benefits of working from home. As a result, many businesses are wondering whether it’s worth returning to the office or whether they can reap more benefits by continuing work from home programs.

However, after forking out for expensive office space in South London or other business capitals of the world, it’s understandable that company owners will want to make use of this.Consequently, they might decide to opt for a hybrid model. With this being said, what needs to be considered in terms of working in the office vs. working from home.

Commuting

On average, Americans spend a minimum of 27 minutes on their daily working commute. Although, as many as 14 million people spend upwards of an hour on their daily commute. Not only is this time consuming, but it can cost employees a significant amount of money when it comes to fuel costs, bus, and train fare. In order to combat this expense, some firms compensate employees for their commuting costs, but once again this is an unnecessary expense for the business. Therefore, in terms of commuting, working from home is much more convenient for employers and employees alike.

Communication

As far as communication is concerned, there’s no denying that it’s much better for everyone to engage in regular face-to-face communication. Not only does this make tasks clearer, but it’s also much more beneficial to the mental health of everyone. In fact, many people find that solely working from home makes them feel quite isolated, which can impact both their well-being and job performance. In this respect, working in the office would take the lead but, to tread the balance between the two, hybrid working is also an option.

Flexibility

Working from the office often means that you’ll have a strict schedule that you’ll need to adhere to, whereas working from home introduces some flexibility. This presents both pros and cons; a strict schedule can feel restrictive and introduce too much pressure, whilst complete flexibility can mean that there isn’t enough urgency. In an absence of urgency, tasks may not be completed as quickly or to as high of a standard, which could have a damaging impact on the business. Therefore, the effectiveness of the flexibility aspect would depend on each individual employee, as we all handle tasks in different ways.

Financial Costs

As previously mentioned, a business owner will be paying for an office space. Sometimes this is done via monthly payments, although others will buy them outright. When it comes to monthly payments, it’s likely that the business owner will be tied to a contract, meaning that they will have to continue paying for the space for the remainder of their contract. However, if a business owner has bought their property outright, they can always sell the property when they no longer have need for it. In this instance, a company owner might decide that a working from home program is the way forward, as this will save them from property expenses.

Productivity

Productivity is another aspect that depends on the person. Some people will be more distracted by other employees in the workplace, whilst others will be more prone to distraction from things at home (e.g., TV, phone, etc.) With this being said, a typical office worker is interrupted every 11 minutes and takes as many as 25 minutes to get back on track.