With harsh weather on our doorstep, this month I’ll explore some opportunities to work from home and avoid the mess on the roads. In the last few years there has been a surge the popularity of employees working from home. With continuous advances in internet and mobile technology, alongside the shifting lifestyle requirements of the modern workforce, it has become increasingly easy for organizations to adopt this flexible approach to their operations.
While there is little doubt that this move towards ‘virtual’ organizations is primarily cost driven, there is an added benefit for the environment. Consider the fuel saved if an employee does not travel in to a central office each day. Consider the benefits of not having to run, heat and power a large office to accommodate every employee. Consider the positive impact this can have on the environment.
For some types of businesses, however, a physical presence is not a luxury, it is a necessity, a fact that cannot be avoided. But just because it is not feasible to become a completely ‘virtual’ organization, this does not mean that it is impossible to transfer at least some of these philosophies into your business.
Ask yourself if there are any departments that can benefit from home working, even if this is for just a couple of days each week rather than on a permanent basis. Often finance, marketing and other administrative roles are capable of working remotely in an effective way. These departments can communicate via email and telephone to achieve what can be achieved in work, but with the added environmental benefits, as well as cost savings.
Many organizations, especially in the public sector, are taking this a step further and are starting to adopt a ‘hot-desking’ principle. Do remote workers need a desk each? Can they come in to the office on alternate days and therefore use the desk space?
It is, unfortunately, not as straightforward as simply telling employees not to come in to the office. Employees will need to be re-trained to work from home. New management and supervisory practices will need to be put in place to make sure efficiency and accuracy is maintained when they are not in the office. In addition, equipment, such as laptops, mobile phones and internet access, will likely be required and this of course does mean costs.
Despite this, there are savings to be made. Cars can remain unused and lights, heaters and computers can be turned off for the day. The environmental impact of this is immediate, and the cost savings will balance out in time.
While virtual working is not possible for all job roles, and may not be relevant to all organizations, there are genuine cost and environmental savings to be made. The increasing number of companies in all sectors that are beginning to adopt this progressive and flexible business model are testament to this.
