Homeoffice is a form of telework that can be performed as telecommuting or alternating telecommuting. The work is performed completely or partially from private premises. Contact with the company, colleagues, or customers takes place via telephone, e-mail, and other Internet services. The IT and communications equipment required is a telephone, PC or laptop, and an Internet connection.
What Is Home Office?
In some cases, the term home office is interpreted somewhat differently. It can be a home office both the designation of the premises of the home workplace and a form of work, in which the work performance is performed partially or completely from home.
In the second case, it is a form of telework that takes place as telecommuting or alternating telecommuting. As a rule, the employer provides the equipment required for the home office. In addition to suitable premises and furniture, a telephone, PC or laptop, and an Internet connection are required as IT and communication equipment. Contact with the company, with work colleagues, and with superiors or with customers takes place by telephone, e-mail, and other Internet services.
There are legal regulations and definitions for some terms, specifications, and processes in the telecommuting environment that are of relevance to employees and employers in terms of labor law.
Distinction from the term remote work
In connection with telework, numerous terms are often mixed together. For example, the terms remote work and home office are sometimes used synonymously, which is strictly speaking incorrect. While in the case of a home office, work is performed from the home office, the term remote work stands for mobile working from any location. The home office is only one of several forms of remote work. The flexibility of remote work is much greater than that of the home office.
Technical requirements for the home office
In addition to furniture, the usual equipment for a home office includes an Internet connection implemented via stationary connection technology (for example, DSL) or via the mobile network (for example, 4G), telephone, cell phone, or smartphone, and PC or laptop. The applications and data required for work are made available either via the Internet connection in the company network or via a connection to a cloud provider in the cloud.
Authentication procedures and encryption technologies are used to protect against unauthorized access, unauthorized reading, or manipulation of the data transmitted via the public Internet. Virtual private networks (VPNs) are a common form of home office networking.
Advantages and disadvantages of home office
For employees and employers alike, the home office offers numerous advantages, but also comes with some risks and disadvantages.
Typical advantages are:
- Cost savings for employers, as the number of office workstations required is reduced
- Increased attractiveness of the employer and better employee retention
- Better compatibility of private life and work (work-life balance)
- Less time and money spent on commuting to the workplace
- Less strain on the environment
- Flexible and efficient work with higher productivity
Disadvantages of the home office are:
- Emergence of data privacy and cybersecurity risks due to reduced ability to control the work environment
- Additional occupational health and safety regulations necessary
- Boundaries between working time and free time can become blurred
- Risk of exceeding the workload
- Fewer opportunities for the employer to monitor work performance
- Lack of social contact with colleagues
- Less communication and sense of community in the company
- More difficult coordination of employees
- Lack of overview of current work status
- Possible distraction by family members or private activities
