Flexible working : Locations

Hot-desking

Hot-desking is a system where employees don’t have a permanent designated desk space but share desk space, working wherever there is free space at any given time. In practice it is often combined with other forms of flexible working, for example homeworking or mobile working, which mean that employees only need a desk in the office for some of the time.

Some employees find hot-desking stressful because they don’t have the familiarity of a normal work space, however other employees find working from a variety of locations with different colleagues can create variety.

Hot-desking requires a high level of tidiness because desks have to be cleared at the end of a period of work. It also requires a great deal of organisation because documents and equipment need to be stored appropriately or brought in and out of work as required. 

Homeworking

Working from home is an option for many self-employed people, particularly in the creative industries but also for any other types of work where modern communication technology enables remote contact. Homeworking can also be associated with very low-paid manual work conducted at home on a commission basis. Home-based business opportunities are advertised by a number of companies, however caution is needed when looking at these as bogus job adverts are common. Further advice is available from Homeworking  and Career at Home .

Increasingly it may also be possible for employees to negotiate to work from home for some or, in occasional cases, all of their contracted hours. This option is most commonly found in professional jobs where at least part of the duties can be done away from an office. This kind of work from home normally depends on having suitable equipment at home and a suitable internet connection. In order to agree to working from home an employer needs a high level of trust in an employee, and the employee needs to be organised, disciplined and good at communicating with their employer.

Working from home can be experienced as isolating and stressful (with some employees finding it difficult to ‘switch off’). However, reduced commuting time and costs and an increased ability to manage other commitments can make homeworking appealing.

Mobile working

Mobile working refers to work which, through the use of technology, can happen anywhere and at any time. Some employers will offer employees laptops or palm tops in order to allow them to work from different locations. With the growing availability of wireless internet access, employees may also be able to access emails and company systems remotely from the office. The advances in hand-held technologies means that email and digital information is increasingly available through phones and allows access to work wherever and whenever an employee wants.

Undertaking this kind of work requires a high level of confidence in using technology and requires a company to make significant investment in appropriate equipment. The advantage of being able to use previously unproductive time (such as commuting) can come at a cost of finding it difficult to ‘switch off’ from work, especially where mobile phones or portable devices are left on outside of work hours. Frustration with technology and working with incompatible systems may also be a problem. 

Teleworking

Teleworking involves working part of the working week away from the workplace. It could mean working from home or from another remote location and normally involves the use of telecommunications. Many homeworkers are also teleworkers. Teleworking can be done on a permanent or temporary basis. Find out more from the Telework Association .

Virtual teamwork

A virtual team consists of a group of people who are brought together to work on the same task but who work in different locations, possibly for different organisations and often at different times. A common kind of virtual team is one that is convened to work on a specific project - for example copywriters, editors and illustrators may all work on the same book but may never meet face to face.

With developments in technology, virtual teamwork is becoming increasingly possible. Virtual teams may now exist within single organisations with communication taking place largely through email, telephone and instant messaging, and meetings convened via teleconference or videoconference.

Virtual teams can provide advantages in terms of flexibility of location, but with less face to face contact, it is important that team members have excellent communication skills and that there is a clear structure in place. With teams dispersed over different areas of the globe, cultural differences can prove challenging but may also provide a valuable range of perspectives and ideas.