Amazing Perks Of Working From Home For Employees

Forbes contributor, Kevin Kruse, states that a humongous 60% of America's workforce prefers working from home, primarily to achieve a balance between an office and homely environment.

The days of working from 9 to 5 are long gone, no doubt. Currently, we live in a technology-driven era, where you can carry your work with you. Working from home has been considered a part-time or freelancing option for long, and has even been a go-get-it choice for stay-at-home moms and the differently-abled.

Many companies offer all their employees the option of working from home; however, this option is generally availed for a day or two or at the most, a week.

The latest innovation the corporate world have been thinking of (and many of them have already applied the same) is to actually get their workforce to officially work from home.

There are many pros and cons of this option, for the employer as well as the employee. Provided here are some of the benefits of working from home for employees.

You have a flexible schedule―you can work when you like, relax when you want, manage the cooking and cleaning, etc., as and when possible. There is flexibility in pretty much everything―nothing is rigid or fixed.

Say, you have a skating class or a piano lesson, or you wish to take a stroll in your garden, no one is going to stop you. You can stop your work temporarily, do what you want, and continue your task from where you left it. As long as you complete the task assigned to you, your boss may not have a chance to complain.

This is one of the primary advantages of working from home. While at work, you are constantly engaged in unnecessary talk. Blah.. blah.. blah ... and it goes on. If you do not talk, your colleagues do, and you are ultimately dragged into the conversation. Eventually, productivity suffers. At home though, there are no such distractions, no unnecessary talk.

Yes of course, if you are living with your family, there will be laughter and conversation, but from what surveys suggest, your family members will be supportive and understanding enough to realize that you are working, and naturally, they will avoid disturbing you, which gives you enough time and space to complete your work.

This may affect your identity and dignity and lower your morale. At home, you face no such problems. You may not be aware of what your colleagues are going through. Even if you interact via conference calls and video meetings, the conversation is professional. Everyone is tired of the rat race and absence of office politics can provide a welcome respite.

Any kind of professional discrimination can lead to loss of confidence, feeling discouraged, and you being unable to focus on your work. It brings down the overall morale of the workplace, which affects everyone's work. While at home, there is no discrimination.

Neither your boss nor your colleagues may interact with you on a daily basis (face-to-face). Thus, you don't have to feel down in the dumps. You are respected as an important employee, and this adds to your confidence.

We do agree that following etiquette and the right mannerism is important, but it can be rather frustrating to have a smile on your face while talking to your senior when you are suffering from a sore foot.

The formal niceties get so clichéd after a while that all you want to do is to put your feet on the table and work. Of course, this is not possible in an office environment. When you work from home though, you have the freedom of lazing around on your bed or sofa or easy chair, wear what you want, and work without having to worry about your surroundings.

How many corporate meetings actually lead to a definite conclusion? Hardly any. At the office, you spend a lot of time attending meetings, wherein there is a lot of unnecessary talk, cups of coffee, never-ending debates, lesser action, and waiting-to-be-acted-upon solutions.

At home, you have no such restrictions. There are Skype meetings and conferences, yet, they seem more productive, since they take place once in a while and for a particularly important topic of discussion in hand.

Every organization focuses on keeping its employees happy, for they are the resource that helps the organization run profitably. Working from home provides a lot of convenience and flexibility to employees, in various ways, and naturally, they are happy and satisfied.

When they are satisfied, they give their 100% to their work, and consequently, benefit themselves as well as their employers. Since they do not interact with other colleagues, there is a general feeling of financial independence and self-control.

Yes, your boss would certainly reprimand you if your work is not up to the mark; yet, there is a certain anonymity, a feeling of privacy. And, the fact that you are practically your own boss is enough to give you the energy to put in more effort. Employees, in general, have reported to have felt satisfied and empowered when working from home.

Often, employees stay back at work due to work pressure and deadlines. This affects their personal life―they follow an erratic schedule, leading to an irregular lifestyle, experience arguments at home, etc.

With the option of working from home, employees will know how to strike a proper balance between office assignments and personal work. They will be able to dedicate equal time for their personal- and professional-life. They can spend time with their families and adjust their work hours accordingly.

You will, of course, have deadlines and pressure even if you work from home; however, the intensity is reduced. You do not have your boss hovering around demanding you to compete the assignment, nor do you have periodic meetings to review your work. There is less urgency, lesser hassles, and more comfort and flexibility.

Project work can be particularly demanding, which consequently gives rise to a stressful environment. But if planned well, the work can be completed on time. When you work from home, you get to plan your daily activities and work schedule; naturally, your stress levels will be remarkably lower than what you may go through in a conventional work environment.

With reduced stress, a peaceful atmosphere and fewer expenses, you have less issues to worry about. You need not get worked up to drop your children to school or clean garage or spend time with family. You can pursue your hobbies. All these perks help achieve sound physical and mental health, which in turn encourages you to work harder and give your best.

You may be wanting to rush for an early meeting, and a traffic jam may ruin your morning. No to ignore the rising costs of travel either―bus/train/cab fares or fuel/gas costs. While at home, you need not worry about traveling. You can work while sitting on your bed, in comfort. You save time, money, and energy.

With a proper balance between home and office, employees feel the urge to work more and give their best. There may be employees who may be physically challenged as well, and working from home helps them to make a contribution with their skill and talent. This increases the overall productivity of the firm, primarily due to fewer distractions and more time.

While many organizations provide day-care options, women prefer watching over their kids and looking after their needs themselves. Working from home enables new moms to take care of the kids while simultaneously work on a office task at hand. It works well both ways, when timings are planned out and adjusted.

Undoubtedly, there are numerous advantages to working from home. Responsible and aware corporations and organization have today realized that a convenient work-from-home policy will mutually benefit themselves and their employees as well.