Like anything, there are positives and negatives to remote working, but the main things that have made a difference are:<\/p>\n
Reduction in commute time<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cIt takes me 45mins to an hour commuting to work in the morning and just over an hour on the way home. If there is an accident affecting traffic then I have in the past spent 2 hours commuting one way. Sitting in traffic can be extremely frustrating and stressful. This can affect a person\u2019s mood and energy levels before they even get into work. Therefore, having a WFH day where you don\u2019t have to travel makes a positive impact on my personal wellbeing, physically and mentally. This ultimately has an effect on the way I work and the quality of work produced. On WFH days I also save money on petrol and food.\u201d<\/p>\n Work\/Life Balance<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cWhen personal matters for me were stressful, WFH allowed me to have a better work like balance. I was able to continue working but also have time to fit in additional responsibilities like doing the school run.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWFH also helps me attend appointments with ease. Doctors\/dental appointments before or after work are popular and difficult to get especially as I have to consider an hours commute time to get to them. WFH allows me to attend these appointments easily.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe time I would normally spend commuting enables me to catch up on household tasks.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can schedule appointments around working from home and my lunch hour.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI do not need to find dog care when working from home.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPlus there\u2019s the reduced commute time \u2013 it saves me a couple of hours in one day, which I can then use to cook a nice meal at lunchtime, for example, which wouldn\u2019t otherwise be possible. The fact it then feels like you\u2019re working less definitely helps to reduce feelings of \u2018burnout\u2019 and low motivation. Also, I find it incredibly useful for things like taking my car to the garage, which wouldn\u2019t feel like a good enough reason to use annual leave for, and would be inconvenient to work around if I was commuting as well.\u201d<\/p>\n Fewer Distractions<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cPersonally, being a software developer, it works really well for me as it gives me long periods of time to focus on problem solving. Interruptions really do hamper the work flow.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI also find it easier to concentrate on tasks such as finance when there isn\u2019t the distraction of the office too.\u201d<\/p>\n Boosts appreciation for other team members <\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI have noticed that working from home and having some time away from the office environment and work colleagues makes you appreciate both more when you are in.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know Ian has said the number of sick days taken has been drastically reduced since introducing working from home, which I think is a great benefit on its own! He\u2019s also monitored the amount of work the admin team do in the office and at home, and I believe these numbers are comparable.\u201d<\/p>\n Potential Barriers<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cOne perceived negative of working from home is the lack of contact with colleagues. Some are concerned this may make it more difficult to arrange meetings or have access to information for everyone to work effectively. I haven\u2019t found this to be the case; we work from home infrequently, we hold meetings infrequently and only when required. Communicating via email and Skype for Business (which has the facility to share your screen with a colleague) means we still have access to information we need to prevent any hold-ups.\u201d<\/p>\n In such a small number (n = 14), metrics to evaluate the pilot are difficult to capture. However, from comments such as those outlined previously one can assume that it has a positive impact on well-being, work\/life balance and even a small benefit to the environment by reducing the yearly commute.<\/p>\n We are happy to share our experience with others who may be interested in exploring how a similar working pattern could work for them.<\/p>\n Dr Kathy McElhone<\/strong><\/p>\n BADBIR Study Advisor<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_post_nav _builder_version=”3.17.6″ prev_text=”Previous” next_text=”Next” in_same_term=”off” locked=”on” \/][et_pb_comments _builder_version=”3.17.6″ locked=”on” \/][et_pb_text admin_label=”Related posts” _builder_version=”3.17.6″ locked=”on”]<\/p>\nRelated<\/h1>\n
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