New Age of Working from Home due to COVID

Many of us have only ever dreamt of what our lives could be like if we didn’t have to carry out the daily commute and could work from home, and now, thanks to the extraordinary situation we find ourselves in, many of us have had home working forced upon us. So, are we embracing it, or finding it difficult to adapt to?

Will this kick-start a new way of life, a new way of working, will it in fact be the start of the fourth industrial revolution?

It has been said more than once over the past few weeks that the coronavirus crisis will transform the way we live, work and travel, and according to the Automobile Association, they are predicting a permanent reduction in the demand for travel because people will have had to learn how to use home-working technology.

Cost Effective and Environmentally friendly solution to working

Edmund King, president of the AA, recently told BBC News that the country should be investing more in broadband than improved road/travel conditions because what this current crisis is showing us is that the majority of companies can continue working from home, more cost effectively and more efficiently.

It has also been mentioned that if commuters spent just one day working from home, the effects on the roads would be profound. Less traffic, fewer carbon emissions and a better work-life balance – truly a win/win situation all round.

Research carried out by accountants Theta Financial Reporting suggests that some degree of working from home will become the norm.

Having carried out a survey of more than 2,000 people in the UK, the results suggest that nearly two-thirds of us believe the most popular working method in the future will be flexible working. Many say that flexible hours are the most important thing to them when choosing a job and a third of working Brits would rather have flexible working options than a pay rise.

Many companies have had no choice but to help their employees set up for working from home and now don’t expect to revert to previous office-based patterns of work. The reasoning being that it’s better for their employees, providing them with a better work-life balance, causing less stress and providing a healthier environment, as well as saving money on office costs.

Looking back, will we remember this period simply as ‘business as usual,’ as employees work more flexibly at home, or the time that we actually digitised the modern workforce for good? As employers realise that work can be completed as effectively away from the desk as at it, there will be more virtual offices than we have ever previously experienced.

Businesses that recognise and embrace flexible working as the new ‘norm’ will be streets ahead in securing and retaining an engaged and productive work force.

Working from home has many benefits but does not suit everyone. In order to reap the benefits of working from home, is important to create a work space away from the distractions of home life, to be able to close the door on work at the end of the day, which is why one of SMART’s garden office designs is the perfect solution.

If you want to embrace the working from home movement or are ready to provide your staff with flexible working, you can order our Free Brochure Here.

For more information on what SMART Garden Offices can offer you, click here or call us on 0800 242 5559.