These days we are given more options in terms of how we work. 

Gone are the days when you had no choice but to turn up to the office for 9am every day, sitting there working away until 5pm, when you were allowed to leave. Businesses now understand the vital importance of ensuring a happy and healthy working environment, with fewer rigid rules and a more flexible and morale-based approach to work.

This is good news for anyone who works within an office environment and can help you to achieve the perfect home and work-life balance.

Within this subject, we have the idea of working from home.

Working from home isn’t new; it has been around for many years, but has slowly risen over the last few years in particular. According to the TUC, there has been a 27% increase in the number of people choosing to work from home in the last decade alone. The worrying thing however, is that the TUC also estimates that around 4 million more people would like the opportunity to try home working for themselves, but are unable to do so because of barriers from their work and at home.

This is something which needs to be addressed, especially when you delve into the benefits of working from home. We all know that stress is on the rise across the world in general, and most of it is related to work. By working from home, you could lower your stress levels by a large amount; if those 4 million people who all want the chance to work from home did receive their opportunity, can you imagine how much lower the national stress statistics might be?

This guide is designed to help you understand home working, both from an employer’s point of view, and from the point of view of the employee. We are going to talk about what home working is and what it isn’t, the benefits, whilst also giving you a sense of completeness, by talking about the possible downsides too.

Remember, no method of working is suitable for everyone, and the same applies to home working. One employee may thrive in a home working environment, whilst another may find it too distracting or isolated. It’s a personal choice which has to be made based on the situation at hand. The information in this guide will help you decide whether working from home is for you as an employee, and whether it might be something you’d like to offer to your employees, within your business.

We should point out that home working is so popular, there’s even a Working From Home Day that occurs annually! This took place on 17 May 2019, with Work Wise Week running from 12 to 18 May 2019. The reason for this prominence is to try and raise awareness of flexible working practices which may make more sense to an individual’s specific situation. 

So, if you’re ready to learn more about the wonderful world of home working, let’s delve in!

What is Home Working Exactly?

You might think that the clue is in the title, but there is a little more to it than meets the eye. 

Home working literally means that you do your work from the comfort of your home, but this doesn’t have to mean you do your work from home all of the time. For instance, you might work from home for part of the time and then work from the office for the rest of the working week. You might flexibly choose to work from home, i.e. only when your situation calls for it, perhaps if your child is sick, as one example, or when you feel you would be more productive by choosing to stay home and do your work. 

Your employer needs to be in agreement with your request to work from home. You would do this via a flexible working request. The way this is done depends upon your business and their specific policies and procedures, but overall this needs to be requested in writing,  outlining what you’re asking for (i.e. you want to work from home all or part of the time), why you want this flexible working arrangement, how it will benefit you, and also how it will benefit the company. When making an arrangement, you’re far more likely to get a ‘yes’ if you can make a great argument for how it will benefit the business, its productivity and its profitability at the end of the day. 

Your employer will then consider your request, and this is something they have to do, keeping you informed throughout the process. This has to be done within a set amount of time, and the specific amount will be contained within your specific policy related to home working or flexible working. You will then be given a decision in writing, and if it’s a ‘no’, they have to tell you why. You’re usually allowed to appeal, but that’s a personal decision for you to make. 

This procedure is the same for any flexible working arrangement, be it remote working, changing your hours from full time to part time, part time to full time, job sharing, flex-time, etc. 

The general rise of flexible working has been quite rapid, but it’s a welcome change for many. Check out this video which explores whether flexible working really will mean the end of the regular 9-5 pattern. 

Why Self Discipline is Key When Working From Home

A little later we’re going to dedicate a whole section on avoiding distractions, but first, we need to explain why this is important. 

When you work from home, you need one specific thing in abundance - self-discipline. 

If this is the first time you have worked from home, you’ll suddenly have a million ideas in your head. They usually go along the lines of: 

• “I can work from my bed!”
• “I don’t have to get dressed, I can work in my pyjamas”
• “I’ll just watch an episode of day time TV for a break”
• “Shall I just make dinner quickly so it’s out of the way?”

The list goes on. 

The problem is, you’re no longer in a routine. When you work from an office with a specific office desking system, you have rules and structure. When you change to working from home, that isn’t in place anymore. You no longer have a manager watching you, you don’t have colleagues sat around you, and you have to force yourself to stay in line and do your work, with a million distractions around you. Self-discipline is the only thing which will allow you to be productive, finish what you need to finish, and really make the whole home working situation work well for you. 

You might go into it with good intentions, and most people do, however when faced with the distractions that are certainly going to come your way, you may struggle to stay on track and ensure productivity and happiness in your new working method. 

To help you overcome these distractions, we’re going to give you a list of tips a little later on, but for now, understand that self-discipline is something you need by the bucket load.    

What is The Difference Between Home Working And Remote Working?

When you delve into the subject of flexible working, you may find yourself becoming a little confused between two specific terms - home working and remote working. There are a few similarities between the two, but they are distinctly different in their own right.

Remote working doesn’t require office furniture or a home office of any sort. A remote worker is able to work from anywhere in the world, provided they have a reliable Internet connection and a laptop/tablet with a wireless keyboard. They may even decide to work from a co-working space occasionally, making use of their office chairs and office desks for comfort and extra productivity. These spaces are also a good opportunity for networking and meeting likeminded people. 

A remote worker can be employed by a company and simply work away, usually not receiving the usual benefits, such as holiday pay or sick pay, or they can be a freelancer who works for different clients. 

The main difference between a remote worker and a home worker therefore, is that a home worker is employed by a specific company and receives the usual employment benefits, e.g. usually sick pay, but this does vary from company to company. The point is that a home worker is an employee who simply works away from the office environment for a specific reason or choice, and they don’t usually travel whilst working, unlike a remote worker. 

It’s important to know the difference between these two similar roles, because the key to making home working a success is understanding what it is and what it isn’t. In order to work from home productively, you don’t only need self-discipline, but you also need a home office to allow you to be comfortable and productive. You need a sleek modern office desk and a good Internet connection, you need the right technology and you need to be able to communicate with the office several times per day. 

If you can understand the nuances of home working and side step the potential problems, you may just find a very productive and healthy way to work for you as an individual. 

The Benefits of Employing Home Workers For a Business

An employer is unlikely to agree to a request for home working unless there is a clear benefit for the business as a whole. This is normal and to be expected. The good news is, there are many benefits of home working for an employer, and you simply need to highlight these in your application for flexible working. 

The main benefits of home working for an employer are: 

• Increased retention of experienced staff - Employees who want a change in their working environment may otherwise leave the business, but if you offer them the chance to work from home, you may keep them, retain their skills, and cut down on the amount of recruitment work you need to do. 
• Attracts new talent - A business which offers flexible working is attractive to new talent, especially millennials and gen Z’ers. This means you’re more likely to attract talent which is creative, forward-thinking, and technologically-minded. 
• No overheads for staff working at home - A business doesn’t need to think about heating, lighting, providing snacks and water for staff who aren’t in the office. This all saves money. 
• Happier staff with increased morale - It’s important for a business to have happy staff. When morale is high, productivity is high too, and this all links towards profitability. 
• Higher productivity for the business - Staff who feel they will be able to work from home well are going to be more productive than if they were in the office environment. As we just mentioned, productivity links toward profitability. 
• More space in the office - Staff who choose to work from home are making space within the office, therefore allowing expansion, extra space for those choosing to stay in the office, and perhaps creating a more comfortable working environment for those staff too. 
• No need for extra office furniture - Just as there are no overheads, there is no requirement to purchase booths or office workstations for staff who are at home. 

These benefits are both productivity boosting and cash saving, and if you can highlight those particular benefits when making an application for home working, you’re far more likely to get it accepted as a result. 

Benefits of Home Working For an Employee

We’ve outlined the benefits for an employer, but what are the benefits for the employee themselves? It really depends on what is important to you in terms of which benefit will be the most important, however the most common are:

• Home working saves money - You have no need to commute to work every day and you don’t have to purchase expensive lunches in the middle of the day. This all adds up to money saved over a short amount of time.
• Creates a better home and work-life balance - If you have children, you care for someone in your home, or you simply want to fit your life and work together into a harmonious situation, home working could create that ideal balance for you.
• Less stress - You don’t have to deal with office politics, conflicts, and other issues that might arise around the modern boardroom tables when you’re working from home. This reduces your stress levels and helps you enjoy your work much better as a result. 
• Greater productivity - Again, if home working suits you then it will help you become more productive in your job, reducing your stress again, and helping you feel like you’re achieving something every single day, rather than missing items off your to-do list.
• Job satisfaction - All of this adds up to a greater amount of job satisfaction, which is something money really can’t buy!
• Nobody looking over your shoulder - Whilst you will have to check in with the office regularly, and you might even have to visit occasionally, you don’t have a manager or supervisor looking over your shoulder whilst at your office seating. This could be a real advantage for some, who prefer to work independently. 

The benefits of home working are plentiful, but we need to give you a complete picture in order to help you understand whether this method of working is really for you. In that case, let’s look at the potential downsides. 

The Potential Downsides of Home Working

Nothing is perfect, and home working isn’t either. Some people manage to side-step the potential downsides very easily and manage to make home working their ideal method, but you have to be aware of the possible issues beforehand. 

• Isolation could be an issue - Aside from distractions, which we’ve mentioned already, isolation is probably the biggest downside for home workers who have been used to working with an office with colleagues in the past, discussing and collaborating around the oval boardroom table. It’s important to try and overcome this by staying in touch with colleagues, perhaps going out to use a co-working space occasionally for a change, and sticking to a regular working schedule. 
• Distractions are a problem for many - Distractions are the biggest issue, and these need to be managed very carefully. We’ll give you some more tips about this shortly. 
• Not having the right home office can cause health problems - Not having the right home office set up could cause you to develop lower back pain, neck ache, headaches etc, simply because you’re not sitting correctly. It’s all too easy to sit in bed and work, but this is going to do nothing for your health. With this in mind, it’s important that you put some time and effort into your home office, creating a comfortable, contemporary office design. 
• The possibility of working too much - When your office is inside your home, it’s very easy to simply carry on working, in order to get ahead or hit a deadline. When this occurs, you’re never going to switch off from work and that is going to affect your home and work-life balance, taking away the very reason that you choose to work from home in the first place. This can also create stress and tension, whilst possibly also causing friction with your family. Sticking to a structure of set working hours is key if you want to avoid this possible problem. 

Managing these possible downsides will help you side-step problems, but it’s important to realise that not everyone experiences these issues. It’s really about being aware first and foremost. 

The Do’s And Don’ts of Home Working

As with everything in the working world, there are do’s and don’ts of working from home. By being aware, yet again, you can stick with the do’s and avoid the don’ts. 

Before we get onto the specifics, check out this useful infographic which gives a wealth of information on how to work from home well. 

Source - www.companiesmadesimple.com/blog/home-businesses/wfh-a-working-from-home-infographic

The Do’s

• Set yourself a regular working schedule. Whilst it’s possible to be flexible with your start and finish time on occasion, make sure this doesn’t vary too wildly, to give yourself structure and avoid your work encroaching on your home life. 
• Wake up and get dressed, as you would do for work. This doesn’t mean you have to wear smart clothes, but make sure you get up, brush your hair, brush your teeth, and put some regular clothes on. This will help with your routine in a big way, and put you in the right mindset for work. 
• Ensure that your Internet is high quality before you agree to work from home. Everything you do will be via the online world, from video calls to messaging, receiving and sending work to research. A slow connection will hinder you terribly. 
• Check in with the office every day and always be available for discussion during working hours. You should also think about visiting the office perhaps once a week, to ensure you’re always up to date with developments. This will also show your employer that your working situation is a success.
• Create an inspiring and comfortable home office to give you the support and inspiration you need to complete your work on a daily basis. 

The Don’ts

• Allow yourself to put your work off. It’s all too easy to think “oh I’ll do this and then I’ll work in an hour”, but an hour never comes. If your employer needs to contact you and you're not available, you could find yourself in hot water. 
• Sit in bed and work. Firstly, your back is not supported for long periods of time whilst sat in ed, and secondly, if you have to take a quick ad hoc video call, you’re not going to make the best impression!
• Allow your home office to become an extension of your home. If you have a spare bedroom, that is the ideal spot for your office. This needs to be somewhere you can close the door on when you’re finished and switch off.
• Continue working when your time is up. Don’t “just an hour more” is not going to help you, and you’ll simply overload yourself with stress and pressure. When work time is finished, log off until the next day. 
• Give in to temptation. It’s likely that friends and family members may call around and invite you out for coffee or a walk. The problem is, most people don’t understand home working and that although you’re at home, you’re actually working for your employer at that time. Make your nearest and dearest aware of your working hours as much as possible and help them to understand your new working pattern. 

You might find your own set of do’s and don’ts as you move through your personal home working journey, but for now, these are some of the most commonly experienced issues for home workers. 

Tips For The Best Home Office

We’ve mentioned the importance of a quality home office a few times already, but now we need to really put some detail into that thought. 

In order to have the best home office set up, you don’t need fancy glass top office desks if you don’t have the cash or the space for them, but you do need a space which gives you what you need, and in a comfortable way. An ergonomic chair is a good option if you have the space, and these days you can find ergonomic options which are far more home office-friendly in their appearance. Mesh back office chairs are also a good option for home set ups.

You don’t want your space to look too office-y, and if you can site your office in a spare room, that is the ideal option. If you don’t have a spare room, it’s entirely possible to have your office space in your dining room or even your living room, but make sure that it doesn’t stand out too much and that you’re able to at least turn your back on it when you’re  watching TV and spending quality time with your family. You don’t need your office storage solutions looking out of place and reminding you of the work you need to do whilst you’re enjoying your downtime!

Check out this useful infographic for some tips on how to make your home office the best it can be. 

Source - www.business2community.com/infographics/make-home-office-work-infographic-01423933

To summarise, the best home office set up is:

• Away from your regular living space
• Decorated in a way which isn’t too office professional, but still maintains a working feel when you are inside
• Supportive, i.e. the chair supports your back without looking too out of place. Office tub chairs are a good idea here too 
• Contains everything you need to be able to do your job, without going over the top
• Connected - a high quality Internet connection is the bare minimum
• Contains the right software for you to do your job and any other specific equipment required
• Decorated in a creative and inspiring way
• Close to natural light and ample ventilation, e.g. fresh air 
• Contains some kind of nature, e.g. plants

If you can hit these basics, you’ll have a functional, productive, and attractive home office to call your own.  

How to Avoid Distractions

We’ve mentioned a few times that distractions can be a huge problem when working from home, but there are a few ways to sidestep these and be productive. Before we get onto those, the video is extremely useful for giving you a few perhaps unknown home working tips.

The best way to avoid distractions is to disconnect yourself from social media during your working hours. Most people will send quick messages randomly if they see you online, and this can often lead to asking you out to coffee, etc. You might find it hard to say ‘no’ and as a result, you’ll be out when you should be working!

So, the best tips are:

• Do not go onto social media when you are working, and turn off your notifications
• Keep your phone on silent when working, just as you would if you were in the office
• Talk to your friends and family about your home working arrangement and what it is and isn’t. Stress the importance of actually doing your work!
• Do not turn on the TV whilst you’re working, even as background noise
• Make a to-do list of the things you need to do throughout the day which aren’t work-related, and vow to do them when you finish work, and not before
• Give yourself goals for the day, e.g. three specific tasks you need to finish (work-related) and push to complete them
• Have regular breaks, just as you would at work
• Put yourself in the best frame of mind by having a set working pattern, getting up and getting dressed, having coffee, breakfast and then starting work, etc. 

Conclusion 

And there we have it, your complete guide to home working. By now, you should have a sense of whether this is a method of working that will suit you or not. Home working isn’t for everyone, but it is a very popular and productive method for those who do suit it.

For employers, home working has some major benefits, as we have outlined a little earlier in the guide. It really comes down to employers offering the opportunity to employees who want to work in this way, and supporting them in their efforts to make it work. 

Employers do not have to allow you to work from home if they feel it won’t be productive or beneficial to the business, but they do have to consider your request.