Thoughts about home office

Many companies are now forced to let their employees work from home because of Covid-19. Here are my thoughts about home office…

For more information and the current status of the status with Covid-19, you can visit the World Health Organization site and if you want to know my thoughts about the virus make sure to check out my post “Thoughts about the Coronavirus”.

First of all, why is it even called home office? Because instead of going to the companies office you stay at home and work from there. It is about the space you are working in. That’s why it’s also called home office and not home working or something like that. There are certain jobs that cannot be done from home, like producing something. For that, you need machines and those machines are usually not in your home. Or if you want to construct a building, at on point somebody has to go on-site and work there. Another example would be cleaning, you can only clean something if you are right there.

Well, at least now it is like this. I think in the future many of these jobs will also change because of technology.

Basically every job that can be done through a PC, can also be done from home. With today’s technology, we are more connected than ever and we should take advantage of that. With the right software tools, it’s also possible to manage complex workflows from home. Companies should always think long term and start using software tools that can be used from wherever you want. This allows the employees not only to work from home, but also while traveling. If it is a business trip or a visit to a customer… The world is connected through technology, why not use it and take advantage of it? The future way of working is not bound to a specific place and space.

The positive impacts of home office

Also, an interesting aspect of working from home is the positive impacts that it brings. Like less traffic which means less pollution. The more people work from home the less transportation is needed. This has a big positive impact as we can currently see from the quarantine situation worldwide.

I don’t have a family yet, but if you are able to work from home, you also can spend more time with your family, which for some employees could be important.

Another positive impact for the employees is that they have fewer expenses for transportation and also more time to work focused because you don’t have the stress to get to the office. You wake up and you are already in the office. So, with all the extra time that is saved by not having to get to the office, the employees can focus on having a healthier lifestyle: take time for exercising, cooking and so on…

Do we even need offices?

Yes, of course. For companies and also as an employee just working from home is not a solution. We have to find the right balance and this can be quite individual depending on the employee. Some don’t want to work from home, others can focus better at home. Also, we can’t forget about the social component that working in an office brings, that would be missing. Companies have to find the right balance. Implementing a home office strategy has a lot of positive impacts and not just for the company, but globally.

Sure, it is a different way of working and things have to be managed differently… BUT there is no excuse not to do it because it is possible. Not everybody will be able to work as already mentioned. Some jobs cannot be done from home, but for those that can be done from home, companies should consider implementing a home office policy.

I also believe that in the near future home office policies might also be regulated by the government, that they force companies to do a certain percentage of the work by home office. I actually think this is something that might happen after this Coronavirus is dealt with. If something can be learned from the Covid-19 event and quarantine, is that it is possible that people work from home and that it has a big positive impact on the climate. So, if we really want to get this climate change under control I believe this would be one big step in the right direction.

Let me know what you think in the comments!