UK General

Why having a home-based team works

Home working has become a way of life during the lockdown but for some companies like Paul Beare, this had been the case for a number of years.

Prior to the pandemic, working from home was on the increase as many employers identified the benefits that it can bring to their business and the improved work-life balance for their employees.

Advantages of home working

  • Flexibility and agility 
    • If employees are not tied to an office they are more willing to work flexible hours such as earlier or later in the day or even at weekends.
  • Employee retention improves
    • The flexibility of home working can help employees meet childcare needs, reduce their commute and fit their work around their personal life.
  • Increase productivity 
    • Fewer interruptions (which would occur in the office environment) means more focused work.
  • Improved health and wellbeing
    • With no commute, employees will be less stressed, can gain additional sleep, spend more time with their family and exercise.
  • Financial savings for the company 
    • Savings on office space, office supplies, utility bills and other facilities. Staff can also take advantage of the tax relief available from HMRC for working from home.
  • Better work/life balance
    • With no commute a better work/life balance can be achieved. Household chores can be achieved around their working day giving more free time in the evenings.
  • Less sickness absences 
    • Staff are more likely to feel happier when working from home and more energised and therefore less likely to be impacted by burnout. Also staff are less likely to pick up any infections spreading in an office environment.
  • Less need for regular holidays 
    • Home working can feel like a break from the office and employees are able to spend more time with their family. Therefore they will not feel the need to take as much leave.

At Paul Beare Ltd, all staff work from home and have done for years. “Having a work/life balance is so important to me and I therefore feel it is important that my team have this flexibility as well,” says Paul Beare.

“Not having to commute to an office is great for me. I like to get up early in the morning and go for a long walk in the morning to start my day off on the right foot. I wouldn’t be able to do this if I had to commute to London every day,” says Laura Andrews, Marketing Manager at Paul Beare Ltd.

“Working from home allows me to spend more quality time with my family and I also have the flexibility to check emails and work in the evening if I need to carry out specific chores during the day,” says Glenda Tickle, Client Relationship Manager at Paul Beare Ltd.

If you would like to learn more about home working and how this could be adapted to your business then please get in touch.