The pros of homeworking

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For the employee, homeworking:

• gives more freedom to manage their own time;

• makes it easier to combine with caring responsibilities for family;

• means there is no need to commute — saving time and money;

• allows them to work without any distractions;

• is an important way for disabled people to access the labour market: around 650,000 people with a disability currently work from home;

• is a green choice. Fewer people commuting means a reduction in the number of polluting vehicles on the roads.

For the employer, homeworking:

• cuts costs as employees can share desks as they won’t all be in the office at the same time, this is a practice known as hot-desking. The office space can be smaller which will result in lower business rates, rents and utility bills;

• is associated with increased productivity from homeworkers;

• means being able to recruit employees from further afield and helps retain staff who might otherwise leave.

In its homeworking scheme, manufacturer Rolls-Royce lists the potential company benefits including: a wider catchment area for recruitment; possible retention of employees who move out of the immediate area of the workplace; employees who do not have to commute and can start their working day more mentally alert; and less distraction and more focus.