Since the pandemic, more and more people want to work remotely. While many employees make such a good point that working from home is easier, it’s not always better. Not everyone can or should work at home; sometimes the results depend more on the person than the job itself.
Some People Aren’t Disciplined Enough To Work From Home
Home is where all of your toys are. We’re talking video games, stereo, and everything else you love to do at home. All of those things can quickly distract your employees. How can they take work seriously when there’s always a new video game being released?
A lot of people would rather spend their time watching Netflix than doing work. How many people put Netflix on in another window on their computer while they work? You can only imagine how unproductive those people are. It’s crazy to think that some people actually believe they can watch television and work at the same time.
Let’s Not Forget The Distraction Of Kids
Kids can distract a person more than Netflix when they try to get some work done. It’s funny how the minute you sit down, a kid wants something. You can’t have five minutes of peace without a kid barging into your office complaining about something.
If you have more than one kid and you’re the only parent at home, it’s even worse. You’ll constantly get bombarded with everything a kid can throw at you. We’re not even talking about how kids are always hungry, bored, or getting into things. If you’ve got kids at home, good luck being productive while trying to work.
Some People Work Great Alone Without Supervision
If your workers can overcome the hurdles and obstacles they face, some people will thrive working from home. They love not having to commute to work every day and fight traffic. You’ve probably heard it before, but there are some who seem to perform better when they work in their pajamas.
There are also those people who are introverts and don’t want to be around people. They would much rather be in front of their computer tucked away in a room where no one will ever be able to disturb them. Those are the people who thrive working from home, and for them, it’s the best thing that could ever happen.
Consider A Mix Of Remote And In-Office Work
Sometimes, life gets in the way, and people can’t go to work. Kids or spouses get sick, the winter weather makes commuting dangerous, or someone just doesn’t want to go to work that day. Allowing your workers to work from home occasionally might be a better fit. It gives them the freedom to work in the office and at home when it’s a must.
You can still pull rank and tell them that they need to spend a certain amount of time in the office. It’s also possible to say that certain days are in office days only, and they must show up. You’re the boss; you get to run your office the way you want to.
The main thing that you’re trying to achieve is flexibility. You want people to know that they can work from home if it’s needed. Also, you want them to feel comfortable enough to tell you when life throws them a problem that you’re not going to jump down their throats about it.
Not Every Worker Is The Same
So, what should you do? Allow people to work from home or force them to go to the office? The real answer to that question depends on the workers themselves. A small business owner is like a coach; you need to find out what works best for your team members. Some people should never work at home because they won’t be as productive. While others are best suited for working at home and actually perform better there. Get to know your workers and do what suits them best because they are productive workers and workers who make your life a whole lot less stressful.
