They say a man’s home is his castle but should it also be his office? Yahoo CEO, Marissa Mayer clearly believes the two domains should be kept separate.
Mayer potentially opened the floodgates for employers to revoke work-from-home privileges for employees by introducing an onsite work policy.
The decision may seem harsh given Yahoo’s digital nature, so we’re interested in seeing the arguments for and against working from home:
Pros
1. Flexibility
It is close to impossible for those living in remote areas to get to work on time and have the energy to work for the next eight hours, or be back in time for dinner with the family. You could be relaxing in your couch, watching the TV or baking a cake, but that time would instead be mostly spent on public transport or in your car.
2. Opportunities
If working from home was banned, parents of young children are left to choose between spending a lot of money leaving their children in day care or being a full time parent. Why choose between the two when you can be both a parent and work? Also for some businesses, the people with the required skills may not necessarily be found locally.
3. Financial savings
Employees can save considerably from travelling costs, business wear and buying lunches.
Cons
1. Colleagues
When working from home, it’s difficult to find time to meet up with your team for lunch or drinks after work. Some of the best decisions and ideas come from interactions with your colleagues. In a statement to their employees, Yahoo believed that insights “come from hallway and cafeteria discussion, meeting new people, and impromptu team meetings.”
2. Managing a balance between work and private life
The lines between work and private life are often blurred when working from home. With the technology today, people will be tempted to reply to a work email late at night. There is the flexibility in the hours you can work while at home, but without a proper guideline, people can also find themselves overworking.
3. Anonymous
This depends on the industry you work in. Some customers will feel comfortable when they can see the actual products in a store front at a convenient location. Working from home can pose issues of trust, safety and accessibility.
Let us know what you think about banning employees from working at home.