‘Working From Home Today?’ That’s Not What Your Boss Thinks

Working From Home?: The phrase “I’m working from home today” strikes fear into one in five (21 percent) managers, who think working from home really means “I’m taking it easy today,” according to new annual research from the European communication company Mitel. More than a third (37 percent) of managers think that if allowed to work from home, staff will use working hours to carry out personal activities, such as taking a longer lunch, while 30 percent believe employees will use the time to arrange their social life. However, two-thirds (68 percent) of employees believe that by working from home they would actually take a more flexible approach to work, enabling them to be more productive (41 percent), and end up working longer hours (28 percent). The research reveals that when it comes to attitudes toward telecommuting, nearly one in five (18 percent) employees would like the opportunity to work from home two days a week, and that more than half (55 percent) believe it is an acceptable option for any level. “Managers must understand that every individual has a different style of working, so by allowing your staff to work how they feel best able to achieve results can only benefit their well-being and most importantly increase their productivity and ultimately customer service,” psychologist and employee productivity expert David Lewis says. “It comes down to a matter of trust. If you trust and respect your employees to get the job done, they will trust and respect you in return and do the best they possibly can, regardless of whether they are in the office or not."