Flexibility or ethical dilemma: an overview
of the work from home policies in modern
organizations around the world
Ahmad Timsal and Mustabsar Awais
Ahmad Timsal and
Mustabsar Awais are
both based at the
Institute of Banking and
Finance, Bahauddin
Zakariya University,
Multan, Pakistan.
T
he ability to hire, develop and then retain talent is regarded as a competitive
advantage
for
any
company.
Organizations
are
coming
up
with
diversified
compensation packages, benefits and incentives to induce loyalty and commitment
amongst their workforce.
Given this dynamic environment, more and more professionals today look for a better
work–life balance. Therefore, they are attracted to employers who adopt flexible
policies and accept that this is now becoming a priority for employment. This is
beneficial for employees because they get a chance to remain in the workforce and
continue to be employed by an established company, yet also enjoy all the advantages
of
being
at
home.
Because
of
economic
conditions,
environmental
factors
and
availability of smarter technology, “work from home” options are quickly gaining
popularity.
According
to
International
Data
Corporation
(IDC),
the
mobile
worker
population in USA will grow at a steady rate over the next five years, increasing from
96.2 million in 2015 to 105.4 million in 2020. It is expected that by 2020, the mobile
workforce will constitute 72.3 per cent of the total workforce (
International Data Center,
2015
).
In
another
study,
IDC
found
that
in
2015
at
USA,
there
are
two
million
home-based businesses and more than three million corporate home office households
(
Gretchen, 2011
). As this option becomes more popular, we discuss the potential
pitfalls associated with the “work-from home policy” and why it is easier to implement
in some countries compared to others.
Work from home policy: a catalyst for increasing worker’s productivity
Companies which advocate in its favor state that the productivity level of their employees
increases once, they are given the option to work from home. As far as employees are
concerned, they do not have to worry about the morning traffic jams, they can spend more
time with their families, they are away from the stressful office environment and above all
they are at their creative best. For organizations, this policy has enabled them to hire the top
talent
without
geographic
limits
(including
companies
“stealing”
talent
from
their
competitors), save on operational expenses relating to office-based workers, and, most
importantly, provide the much needed “work-life balance” to their employees. The general
benefits for employees are:
a flexible environment in which you get to decide your own working hours (in agreement
with your employer);
fewer distractions and stress;
