Why Companies Need to Let Their Employees Work From Home

Its high time companies chuck the disciplined culture and align themselves with what their employees want if they want more productivity. A recent survey on workplace flexibility by Randstad, a HR services provider, says substantial number of employees today, especially those above 45 years of age, are interested in working from home.

Other interesting findings from this survey based on around 7,500 employees from India:

- Both men and women prefer to work from home - 53 per cent of the respondents from India said they prefer telecommuting, while 47 per cent prefer to work from the office every day.

- Most are happy with their current work schedule - 58 per cent of the respondents said they are happy with their current work schedule as opposed to 36 per cent who said they would like to work more at a higher pay.

- Men work more than women - 46 per cent of men work more than 45 hours every week, whereas 32 per cent of women do so. On an average, women work 35 hours and men 39 hours a week.

- Fixed working hours - 50 per cent of the respondents prefer a standard hours work a week while 37 per cent wanted variable working hours every work day.

- More money, better motivation - Prospect of higher income is the primary motivational factor that drives Indian employees to work harder, followed by promotion and personal development.

- Men vs women: Women are motivated to work more for promotions while men seek to increase their influence at work.