Companies have been saddled with an expanding number of directives from successive Governments in recent times. While there are some matters which have become very high profile, such as health and safety legislation and financial issues, every single business function has been implicated to some degree. Recruiting and employing staff has always been one of the most volatile areas in this regard. Indeed, an extract from a 2009 CBI report on the UK’s Enterprise Policy pronounced their opinion on the matter – “The area of employment regulation is especially burdensome.”

One topic which has been the subject of much discussion in the past few years is flexible working. Permitting people to Work From Home if their job content is suitable was regarded as a way for thebusiness to hang on to their talents should their personal circumstances change. In the past changes such as parenthood, injury or the need to look after dependents regularly meant that people had to stop working. While flexible working may be very beneficial to both parties, there are some aspects which ought to be contemplated before people are given the option to Work From Home.

One of the basic considerations should be the expense involved. The recent recession has compelled almost all businesses to agree to reductions in their profit margins and the cost to allow people to convert to flexible working should be closely considered. Facilities such as computers, office equipment and the necessary communication technology, all of which exist at the business’ offices, will need to be installed at the worker’s home. Extra training might be required in the technology needed to work remotely from the office. In addition, the workspace at home could need to be adapted, or in a number of cases, created. If the worker is only going to Work From Home from time to time, then the return on these costs will be less than normal. It ought to be taken into account that only 3% of existing flexible workers do so permanently and it is very likely that these people will be working for a modern Internet Business which will have a lot of people doing Online Jobs.

The business will need to be certainthat the work can be done just as effectively at home as it would be in the office. Any job which requires frequent interaction with colleagues or needs to be closely monitored by management will not be appropriate. Similarly, any work of a delicate nature should be kept within the office to avoid any potential security problems with confidential information. As well as that of the job function, the suitability of the staff themselves is a vital factor to remember. While the general hubbub of a busy office environment can be off-putting to some, the inspiration to Work From Home is not present in everyone. People would need to be made aware of, and comfortable with, the isolation which exists when working at home. This is possibly the main reason why working from home permanently is only undertaken by 3% of the United Kingdom’s workforce. A mixture of office and home working will possibly be a better solution.

So, the decision is not a straightforward one if you are not an Internet Business with a lot of Online Jobs. While it may be deemed a luxury, not a necessity, to offer flexible working to people, there are flexible working regulations which compel firms to “seriously consider” any request for it from those employees with children under 16, disabled children under 18 or certain types of adult dependents.