This pandemic has forced a lot of people to work from home…but…wait…why…is…this…happening…
I took an in-depth look at recruitment ads over the last few weeks.
There are a lot of companies looking for Controllers, Senior Accountants, and bookkeepers.
The shocking thing is how many want someone to – still, in these days – drive to work.
At best, I have seen the words, “temporarily remote”. Huh?
Is this a control thing? Or “hey we have such an amazing culture; we want you to come to our office and share in the joy” thing?
A lot of work has to be done away from home, at a workplace. I get that.
But accounting?
We have been working for over 20 years, “in the cloud”, virtually, without paper. It works better. It is more effective, and our Team produces better results working in a comfortable home space.
There are so many benefits to working from home. Let us look at 3 types. For the worker. For the business. And for the environment.
Benefits for The At-Home Worker
No commute. This can be a huge amount of extra time for your family or just to get more done.
No dress code. You can work in your housecoat, or whatever you prefer.
No lunches out. This can save a lot of money, time, and eating at home can be much healthier!
No commute means less wear and tear on your car, and no gas. Maybe you now only need one car. Now there is a savings!
Coffee or tea or snacks when you want with no one watching. Coffee is always better when made at home.
Flex-time. Often you can work different hours – sleep in and work late.
You can take your kids to school and pick them up.
Working from home is definitely much better for your kids in every possible way!
Benefits for the Business
Happy workers means less turnover. The savings here are amazing. No re-training costs. No severance pay.
More productive workers. Happy workers, creating their own unique at-home bubble, will get more done.
Giving a benefit that people really want will increase loyalty.
Benefits for the Environment
No driving to work. This clearly is a positive impact on our planet! Less emissions, no clogged roads.
Paperless – at our company, we do not print cheques, or use paper. Everything is online, virtual, and paperless. Less trees to cut down to make paper is a good thing. Ask a tree.
Less chance of bad accidents when weather conditions are grim. Hey, this is Canada, with ice and snow, and it can get slippery out there.
In Summary
Kindly consider your people – who in your business is a knowledge worker? Consider that they will get more done at home, be happier, and stay with you longer. All this is not only good for them, and saves you money, the earth will love you for it!
I just read a good Blog from Regus (the global shared office company). Actually 2 blogs.
The first talked about 5 boundaries to set working from home. And who is not working from home (at least part-time), these days?
One idea is a new one for me. Our Team has been working from home for over 2 decades. I have not commuted in 23 years.
What the Blog suggested was a Fake Commute.
Most people hate their dreaded commute. Hours stuck in traffic every day. What is there to like?
Well, the commute was your time!
Now that you are at home, you need to reclaim your commute time. You do this with a walk around the neighbourhood in the morning before work! Great idea.
The other Regus Blog was about trust. As a leader you must trust your remote workers are productive.
I have written about this before. At ControllershipPLUS we trust our people. Our Team members flex their time. Yet they are super-productive. They get more done working from home.
