Remote positions, or positions that allow you to work from home, are being offered by more companies and being sought out by more employees. If you are a business owner, what are some of the benefits of allowing your employees to work from home?

There are strong beliefs towards the lack of productivity working from home creates as well as those who fight for its benefit of creating happier and more productive workers. Not all businesses can afford to have remote positions, so you must learn more about the pros and cons of employees working from home before implementing the change.

Pro: If you have employees that carry the responsibility of completing detail demanding projects that require extended periods of concentration-time, working remotely from home might produce higher and more accurate productivity levels. Technology jobs such as developers or programmers have the potential to create projects faster and with fewer mistakes when they can control their environment and have less daily office distractions. They also gain more productivity time when they can cut out a commute filled with time-consuming traffic twice a day.

Con: Employees that thrive in social environments have less of a chance to be productive when their productivity levels increase from people-to-people interaction. It is essential to truly analyze not only the individual but also the job description as well before allowing remote to be an option. Some employees need a structured social environment to stay on task rather than a home with too many distracting freedoms.

Pro: Lift the geographic limitations that an office work environment can create when looking for potential hires. The use of telecommunication has allowed businesses to hire from around the world with location flexibility. It is also an opportunity to create job openings for those with disabilities that might prevent them from coming into an office every day. A remote position could land you the perfect talented individual who fits all your needs regardless of his or her disabilities.

Con: The value of your dollar has the risk to decrease due to fewer people utilizing the workplace resources you provide, such as a big office, industrial copiers, or even specific software or programs that are only accessible while in the office. If you find yourself paying the same amount for office tools that are being used by fewer people, you should consider cost-saving options such as a smaller office space or decreasing the size of your resource orders.

Pro: Rather than downsizing your office space, offer all of your employees a remote position and cut the cost of an office completely.

Con: Less face-to-face time in the office can lead to a lack of team-building opportunities. A strain in employee relationships can often lead to conflict that decreases productivity.

Are you still having a hard time deciding whether or not to allow your employees to work from home? Our Human Resource professionals at StaffScapes can help! Call us today, and let us assist you in setting up your organization for ultimate success.