It’s becoming increasingly obvious that whether you’re an architect, a journalist or a musician, your need to commute and sit in an office has been greatly diminished by the forward push of technology and the internet in recent years. Google Docs, social and professional networking, larger file downloads, better internet connections, Skype calls… All you need is somewhere to sit at home, it seems.
But is there an actual advantage to having an entire company all working from home? If you’re a small business, there is – it avoids the cost of renting an office until you’re doing well enough to meet that cost comfortably. But if you’re a business with over a hundred employees, it begins to sound like a logistical mess; being able to round your team up and herd them into a conference room is really useful.
But it does mean that things like sick days don’t necessarily mean a day of no productivity from someone – simply allowing them to work from home on a laptop while they’re in a resting position might actually do them far more good than pushing them to come in. Everyone has deadlines, from Party Poker champs due to hit a tournament at a certain time to a graphic designer aiming to please a client with a lack of tardiness. Being able to meet those deadlines more easily rather than risking no work for a 24-hour period outside the weekend seems wise.
In the end, it’s a case of considering what you really want from your business. There’s nothing wrong with a traditional office environment – it’s always going to be faster to simply walk over to someone and talk to them in person, and more social interaction is healthier both for the employee as an individual and for the business as a whole. It’s up to you – what do you think is the ideal choice, readers?
