Computer is commonly used in these years. Most families have at least one computer in their home. E-commercials, homeschooling, home office, start to appear in society, especially home office, since more and more people in Hong Kong choose to work from home. But what are the advantages and disadvantages of home office?
First, employees would have a comfortable working area when they work at home. There is no place like home! So, if people can work at home, their working quality and efficiency will improve a lot. Moreover, people know the environment of home well, so they won’t complain that the workplace is not good, and then they may focus on their work.
Second, home office is more convenient for employees. If employees opt for home office, they can start working directly after waking up, which can save the travelling time. Also, employees can choose when to start working as they are actually independent, and they need not dress up since they just work alone at home.
Third, home office helps employers to save money. As employees work at home, employers need not buy desks, chairs etc. for employees. They can even rent a small office.
Though home office has the above advantages, it is not without drawbacks.
First, employers and employees can’t have some face-to-face conversations. A face-to-face conversation is an important part of effective communication, particularly when issues arise. Unlike text messages and telephone calls, one can ask whatever they don’t understand and they can get the answer directly in a face-to face conversation, the problem can then be quickly fixed.
Second, younger employees may feel frustrated since they can’t seek help and can’t learn from the seniors. When an employee receives a task from the boss, he would need to work alone in his home office. When he gets stuck by some problems, no one can help him. That may slow down his work efficiency. Moreover, teenagers want to learn from role models, like how to work, how to communicate with others, but when they work in home office, he can hardly get inspired.
Third, the work efficiency of the company may become low, too. Since employees do not work together or in the same office, the company can’t ensure whether the employees will hand in their work on time or not. Even though the company receives the work on time, they can’t control the quality of the work.
It seems that home office is not the most ideal option yet. However, if the problems are handled, it would definitely appeal to the majority.