With advancements in technology, companies allow their employees to work from home. Many believe that this initiative is beneficial for the employees as it allows them to work in the comfort of their own home. While working from home has its benefits, some argue that it may cause disruptions in productivity. This essay will explore the effects working from home has on employees and employers, and discuss whether employees should work from home or not.
One of the main advantages of working from home is that employees can save a lot of travel time. When employees staying far away travel to the office, they usually have to spend couple of hours daily just on commute. However, employees working from home can save those hours. This leaves them with more time for personal commitments and daily chores. Another benefit is that employers can save a lot on office space and utility costs that come along with hiring. As employee count increases, employers have to increase the office space to accommodate said employees. At the same time, employers have to bear the costs of utilities such as electricity, equipment such as desks, computers and chairs, as well as employee benefits such as free lunch and office shuttle services. By allowing employees to work from home, employers do not have to bear the costs of these utilities and benefits, as the employees take care of those on their own.
Despite these advantages, working from home can also affect employee productivity. As employees are in the comfort of their home, it is easy for them to be distracted by either household chores or the environment. Office environments are specifically designed to help productivity by setting certain desk layouts or even providing a focused environment with few distractions. Secondly, working from home makes communication more difficult. Employees working in the office can easily talk to other employees and complete the discussion at the same time. People working from home have to send a text message instead and wait for the response, which may not always be timely. For instance, getting a doubt cleared in person is faster than waiting for a response on text.
In conclusion, although working from home can result in cost savings for the employers and time savings for the employees, it also hinders productivity. I believe that employees should be allowed to work from home and should be given a guide to work in their own comfort while also managing to not disrupt productivity.