Working from Home - A Transition in the Concept of Workplace

Office is any place of work designated by the employer for the purpose of executing any work usually white collar jobs. Working in office carries formal practices such as working in specific group, in specific location, for long. As such it has its own disadvantages of rigidity, formality, mounting boredom and stressful competition. The physical structure of the workplace has great influence on the employee’s thinking. Spending a large part of the time sharing, cooperating and collaborating creates cordial social relationships which often goes beyond the confines of the work and develop trust and mutual help. Discipline, punctuality, hierarchy, loyalty, transparency etc. are all wishful products of this influence. The psychological implications of peer support are enormous in the life of an employee. Contrary to this is the concept working from home which is designed to consider work not as a burden but a responsibility to be carried out at one’s own pace. With the growth of computers and information technology networking from home indicates a sound proposition where the employee can finish their work in their own premises with less supervision and stressful surroundings without compromising output and efficiency. The rigors of a work place are far less felt if the office transform into a ‘Home of Work’ or still further ‘Working from Home’. In the context of increased women in present day work force, this model affords flexibility in timings, adjustment with pressures of work, better coordination with domestic chores, performance of gender roles and responsibilities, and compliance to gender demands such as pregnancy, maternity and happy family without compromising the output and efficiency. With this changed outlook towards office, it could be envisaged that the next century women would be working from home and the sectors which demand them out would shrink and ultimately would be the domain of men