by Graham Borley (UK)
The nature of work has changed for many people and increasing numbers are now at least part time home or remote workers. Growing numbers are taking advantage of changes in employer attitudes and technological advances that are facilitating disparate workforces with more options for home and remote working.
In the most recent American Time Use Survey by the Bureau of Labour Statistics, 57% of workers in 2018 had a flexible schedule.
While working from home sounds great in theory, it provides ultimate flexibility and the commute is great, it is important to understand that there are some cons to working alone. A fact reflected in the Robert Half survey where 81% of workers admit there are downsides to work-from-home jobs.
One negative point is that it is easy to feel out of the loop. You are likely to miss out on the casual conversations that help people to get an understanding of acceptable and best practices as well as understanding influences within the business. It is often underestimated just how powerful this type informal learning can be.
Another downside for remote workers is that they miss the opportunity to bounce ideas and share experiences with colleagues. Talking through decisions before taking action with like-minded individuals is essential for building confidence and avoiding pitfalls.
Source: iCN Issue 28 (Corporate Coaching); pages 39-40
About Graham Borley
Managing Director of PwrLearning
Graham has had over 25 years of Learning & Development experience. In addition to significant consultancy experience he has also lead large training teams for over 5 blue chip multi-national companies.
