by Hayley Solich

Created on: January 01, 2008

In my current role as a casual business trainer working for a Technical and Further Education College, it has been really helpful for both myself and my employer for me to do a lot of the work from home. In fact, I have worked more hours at home than I have at work. However, there are some pitfalls that need to be considered before making this arrangement.

1. Self Motivation and Discipline

When working from home, it can be a real temptation to do everything but your paid work. You really need a high level of self-motivation and discipline to carry it off. However, if you are able to focus and stay on track, you are much more productive because there are way less interruptions to your work than there are in the workplace.

2. Occupational Health and Safety
If you have the right equipment and it is set up to comply with safety standards, a home office can provide you with an even safer environment than the workplace, and if you are fighting off a sickness, you are not putting others at risk. Also, there is less opportunity for you to have a car accident on the way to or from work, resulting in a compensation claim.

3. Travel
Obviously, if you are not using all your energy and resources up traveling to and from work, you have that extra energy and time to put into your work, making you much more productive.

4. Childcare and family commitments flexibility
If you have children, a sick child can be highly inconvenient when you are working. Being able to work from home when you have a sick child, takes the pressure off both the employer and the employee. It allows a parent to care for their child without letting down their employer.

5. Flexibility for other commitments
Working from home can also help if you are completing studies that are relevant to your job and have an arrangement with your employer to do the study component from home. Trying to study in a hectic workplace can be very difficult.

These are my top five examples of when working from home helps both employer and employee.

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