Flexible working time models, a better one Work-Life-Balance and more freedom in everyday working life - employers can meet all of these employee wishes with just one thing: home office. Still, not everyone is happy.

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Fixed home office quota

Nevertheless, most Germans like it Companys more structured compared to companies in economically equally strong European countries: only about twelve percent of employees in the Federal Republic are given the option of working at home.

These include the Employees our further education search engine kursfinder.de. Until recently, home office was considered an exception, for example on days when doctor visits were due, but now there is a quota rule:

The employees of kursfinder.de can work at home two days a month. An option that takes into account both the advantages and disadvantages of home office. But how do they look in our experience? An overview:

The 5 positive pages of home office

  1. You save time! Those who work from home have more of the day: the time for commuting to and from work is no longer necessary. No waiting for the train, no parking, no parking. On the contrary: in the morning you can sleep a bit longer. And on the evening of the festivities the leisure activities can be directly followed. By the way: If you do not commute, there is another advantage: it not only spares nerves and time but also the money bag.
  2. Less stress at work: big office, gossiped colleagues, insatiable phone rattling and a capricious boss, which exerts pressure: There are many stress factors at work. There are far less stress sources in your own home. As a result, home workers can concentrate and work more effectively - in the spirit of the company.
  3. Work self-determined: Home work is accompanied by a certain freedom: Employees can work independently. However, the upcoming activities should be done with as much commitment and care as at the office desk. It should also be known to colleagues and bosses at what time you are available in the home office. It works more relaxed, however, if no boss sits at the neck, which tells you what you have to do and leave.
  4. Balanced work-life balance: personal and professional life in harmony - this condition is often easier to achieve in home work. The time can be divided more freely. If craftsmen are in the house, a government agency is to be carried out or the child has to be collected from the day care center: no problem. The working hours are simply followed up in the evening.
  5. They are happier! It is proven that employees who can work from home at home are more satisfied. They appreciate their superiors' trust in them and take their needs into account. This results in a better identification with the employer. According to studies, home workers should not abuse their situation: they make fewer breaks, work longer and are less likely to be sick than their colleagues present at the office.

The 5 negative pages of home office

  1. The risk of distraction is great: just take a quick look at the dust, briefly go through the evening planning with the best friend or quickly check the profile in the social networks: At home you are more easily dispersed. Because there are many temptations that can distract one from the work: spontaneous visitors, quivering children in the next room and the household. But all this has until the end of the evening: discipline has top priority in the home office.
  2. Social contacts fall by the wayside: Caution, danger of outsiders! In the home office, there is a risk of excluding yourself from the team. It is more difficult to exchange ideas with colleagues and to make arrangements. Team spirit is also not encouraged if you work permanently within your own four walls. A mix of office and home office days helps here.
  3. Where is the motivation? The home office often lacks motivation. One does not always succeed in spilling itself. It is especially difficult when unhelpful tasks are on the to-do list. A team, on the other hand, can win. Even if the desire for the upcoming project has reached the zero level, the colleagues pull one with and motivate to get a step closer to the company goal.
  4. The boundary between work and private life is blurred: working and living under one roof - it is not always easy to draw boundaries. "I'm just about to finish it quickly," one thinks, and the end of the evening is already in the evening. You can still be reached on business, shortly before going to bed the company emails are checked again and work life has already arrived in private life. Discipline is the solution: Closing time is closing time!
  5. For the boss invisible: Sad, but true: the achievements of employees in the home office are often not noticed by the boss. This is the result of a study by Stanford University scientists. They have monitored 16.000 sufferers over a period of nine months and evaluated the data accordingly. Conclusion: Although home workers in most cases perform more efficiently than their colleagues in the office, they often remain outside the scope of promotion and salary increases.