Lack of functional work station, sufficient resources hurting productivity
Almost one-half of Canadian workers work from home at least occasionally, but their home offices may be impeding their productivity, according to a recent survey.
Only two in 10 Canadians (22 per cent) who work from home think their home office setup is efficient and functional. Three in 10 (28 per cent) said their home office has resources that are equivalent to those at an outside office. And this has a negative impact on productivity as two in 10 (23 per cent) respondents said they are more productive from home, found the survey of 1,025 employees by Brother Canada.
"Being productive when working from home is a direct result of being organized," he said. "The right work space is essential. Your home office does not need to be decked out with all of the latest bells and whistles, but it does need to be properly equipped and carefully planned.”
People who work from home must treat their home office like it's their real office — no pyjamas, no folding laundry and no distractions, said Ruel.
When it comes to technology, many home offices are not up to par, he said. When questioned about what they would expect to find in a home office, most respondents listed a high-powered computer or laptop (79 per cent) while 72 per cent would expect to have a printer. Sixty-five per cent of respondents actually have a printer in their home office and six in ten (60 per cent) have a high-powered computer or laptop, found the survey.
Other things that working Canadians would expect to have in a home office include a quiet room (64 per cent, while 43 per cent have one), a scanner (61 per cent, while 45 per cent have one), home office products with wireless capabilities (57 per cent, while 31 per cent have one), a fax machine (52 per cent, while 28 per cent have one) and a smartphone (36 per cent, while 24 per cent have one).
