Working from home on the rise

WORKING remotely is seen as a win-win situation for employees and their bosses and is growing significantly worldwide. But a new study finds that working away from the office comes with costs as well as benefits.

The UK study is one of the first to examine the assumptions behind the revolution of working remotely, using technology to work away from a fixed place, and its positive effects.

People working remotely have greater commitment to their jobs and rank their job satisfaction and wellbeing higher‚ the study showed.

At the same time‚ they find it harder to switch off at home and keep a work-life balance.

In South Africa‚ companies and cities are implementing remote working arrangements. The City of Cape Town has introduced flexitime for many of its 27 000 employees in an effort to ease rush-hour congestion into the CBD.

Significantly more remote workers reported an inability to switch off and unwind at the end of the work day‚ with work pressures spilling over into personal life.

But the benefits of flexibility outweighed the risks for remote workers‚ researchers reported.

“The effects of remote working may be negative for work-life balance while beneficial for workers’ attachment to the organisation‚ enthusiasm for the job and job satisfaction.”