A fascinating decision which has moved me to pen my first blog post in a while:
There are only 2 reasons why a manager should consider an employees request
for home working. First, if there is some personal reason that the employee
needs to be at home and second, if isolation from work is required to think,
plan or accomplish a particular project.
Many Company's, sadly, have let home working grow without considering these
criteria with the result that too often the phrase 'Working from Home' is little
more than a euphemism for a day off regardless of the good intentions of the
member of staff concerned. I hope that this debate will finally bring into focus
that all the modern tools that enable home working, video conferencing, skype
and the like are merely substitutes for real human contact in the workplace and
should not be seen as a permanent alternative to it
Finally, this issue is not about whether employees are 'trusted' to work
from home. A good manager should always trust their staff but they should also
provide a framework where they can give of their best. That means creating a
work environment where the staff want to be regardless of the attractions of
home.
