With the advent of the internet, the possibility of archiving documents in the cloud and the increased availability of tools that guarantee the security of information made available on the net, some companies have opted for a new working model, where it is not necessary to have a physical structure to house the company and employees work from home, in the "Home office". According to a survey carried out by Hays Recruiting Experts Wordwide, a consultancy specializing in recruitment, 31.2% of companies in Brazil have already adopted this system.
Having a team working from home can be advantageous for the company, as it reduces infrastructure costs (rent, property tax, condominium, electricity, water, furniture and desk), as well as reducing the risk of an accident on the way to work. According to Euromonitor International, companies that invest in this practice can save up to two thousand dollars a year for each employee who works from home. In addition, the company also uses these savings as a product of its environmental responsibility, since it saves a great deal on resources such as electricity, unnecessary printing and gasoline.
However, it's important to remember that employees who work from home have the same rights as those who work at the company's headquarters, and are required to provide the value of the food ticket (if this is a common policy for other employees), as well as vacations, 13th salary, FGTS payment, bonuses, among others. The only concession may be the value of the transport voucher, which in this case is not necessary. Unless the employee has to visit clients on behalf of the company.
Another advantage is that the recruiter can select people from other cities to work for the business, without having to travel to the company's headquarters. In this case, the selection can focus solely on the candidate's skills, without having to filter by location.
Managers who decide to put their staff in the home office face some risks, but they will certainly gain in terms of employee motivation. Flexible working hours is one of the advantages most appreciated by employees who work from home.
Stratec, which has very decentralized teams in several Brazilian cities, as well as Colombia and Mexico, has adopted a remote working policy for some of its employees. According to the company's management, this method results in employees with a better quality of life and more willingness to work. "Some of them even left the capital to live in the countryside after adopting remote working," says Guilherme Barbassa, the company's director.
But to be a good employee and deserve the Home Office benefit, you need discipline, organization and dedication to maintain productivity. Lorena Cândido, finance and contracts manager at Stratec, works from home in Belo Horizonte and says that she greatly values the quality of life she enjoys in this working model. "If you have a goal or activity, you can find the best time to do it. If you need to go out, to the bank, for example, you can come and go and continue your work, with a flexible schedule. But you have to be disciplined. I make a to-do list for myself and try to stick to it. If I have a lot of work to do, I know I can't stop," she says.
Natália Araújo Lima, marketing manager at Stratec, has also used the benefit to work remotely from the United States. "I wanted to experience another reality, travel and train my English. Stratec allowed me to fulfill that wish without having to quit my job." In the two months she worked from the US, Natália took the opportunity to travel at weekends, get to know another culture and improve her local language.
One disadvantage of working from home is the difficulty of receiving clients. If you don't have a room outside your home to turn into an office, it's unlikely that you'll be able to receive a client in your usual workspace, and you'll have to hold meetings at the headquarters of the company you're working for, or in coffee shops, restaurants, etc. For Lorena, one disadvantage is not having other colleagues to share doubts and ideas with. "You don't have anyone to add value, to answer any questions on the side, only virtually. Sometimes it's a lonely job," she says.
Professionals who want to work from home need to have the right profile. People who are more dynamic, disorganized or who need to interact with colleagues on a daily basis in order to feel at home will not adapt to the isolated routine of the home office.
Did you like the article? Then don't miss the article on how to manage teams remotely.
