Working from home's not all roses

WHILE working from home might sound like a popular and practical option for Singaporean workers wanting to reduce commuting time and spend more time on their personal lives, the reality is somewhat different, with over two thirds saying that they're regularly distracted by their kids or family members demanding attention.

And that's not the only thing getting in the way: Bad posture as a result of working at makeshift home offices (affecting over one in 10 workers) could lead to serious health problems. Poor Internet connection, no access to office equipment and even having to deal with pets are also said to disrupt home workers' productivity levels.

These are some of the key findings of a global survey by Regus, the world's largest provider of flexible workplaces, based on interviews with more than 24,000 businessmen from over 90 countries.

"Working from home can clearly affect your concentration and productivity," said Mr Filippo Sarti, chief executive of Regus Asia.

"Employees are naturally keen to benefit from flexible working practices, so they can avoid lengthy commutes and work the hours that suit them, in order to improve their work-life balance. But these findings suggest that a professional environment close to home is preferable to actual home-working, so as to avoid strain on families, to project a professional image, and to improve overall productivity."

For Singaporean workers, the three biggest issues when working from home are:

• Children or family demanding attention (67 per cent)
• Difficulty accessing office equipment (40 per cent)
• Difficulty concentrating on work issues (37 per cent)

There are also important health-related issues. Twelve per cent complained of bad posture at home, due to unsuitable home-office arrangements.

Lack of a proper work surface is also a problem for nearly a quarter of respondents (23 per cent).

Mr Sarti said: "Working from home is becoming increasingly popular but, as more people experience it, many are also discovering the downsides.

"Personal life needs to adapt to the professional activities that are taking place, and that's not always easy.

"In addition to our survey findings, there are reports of home workers feeling lonely, alienated and cut off from colleagues. It seems that office 'face-time' also plays an important role in helping workers secure promotions, with employees that work from home being overlooked, even in firms that actively encourage staff to work from home at least occasionally.

"But more worrying still is the fact that one in 10 of our respondents complained that their posture is affected by improvised office arrangements at home. Bad posture can result in serious health problems."

"More worrying still is the fact that one in 10 of our respondents complained that their posture is affected by improvised office arrangements at home."