SMEs 'can gain' by allowing homeworking

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have been advised that they are well-positioned to benefit by letting their employees work from home.

Technology has advanced and made the usual nine to five routine obsolete thanks to systems, such as voice over internet protocol (VoIP), which allow workers to keep in contact with both their colleagues and clients when away from the office.

While there are clear positives for workers who can fit work more easily around their life, there are also benefits for SMEs, according to Nesta Holden, a spokesperson for the National Group on Homeworking.

When asked what SMEs can gain from allowing their employees to work from home, Ms Holden said: "It is well established and commonly accepted that productivity is higher among homeworkers.

"A lot of people want to work from home because of the flexibility; it's a way of fitting your work around your life."

However, she added: "There are some reservations regarding that though because that's why many people go into it but they find that often the flexibility is all on the side of the employer."

This is especially true with less regular freelance work as employers can have more people lined up to do the job from home than they could possibly accommodate in the office.

So whereas previously employers might be left down by an employee who cannot work that day and have no-one to take up the slack, there will always be a homeworker available.

"Allowing people to work from home is giving employers access to...a wider pool of workers," Ms Holden explained.