Home workers devoting more time to their employer

Tue, 08 Jun 2010

Telecommuters balance work and family life better than office workers, a new study has indicated.

Research conducted by Brigham Young University (BYU) indicates that home-based employees manage to maintain a healthier work-life balance, despite spending more time on employment tasks than their office-based colleagues.

For office workers on a regular schedule, the average time spent working was recorded at 38 hours per week.

However, given a flexible schedule and the option to telecommute, employees were able to clock 57 hours per week before reaching breaking point.

Steve Huxham, chairman of the Recruitment Society, said the research dispelled the myth that staff work more effectively in the office than in their home environment.

He said that while employers often worry about whether home workers are using their time productively, office workers often spend hours in meetings, on breaks, and visiting the coffee machine.

"We shouldn't see home working as the ideal solution for everybody. It is part of the battery of tools for a flexible workforce and a flexible working environment," Mr Huxham stated.

Posted by Sarah Parish

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