Seems like whenever there is economic uncertainty, this issue cycles through the minds of those running businesses with thousands of employees and extensive real estate holdings. We are now at a moment when everyone works everywhere: the “central office” houses some staff all the time, other staff some of the time and still others virtually never. Work has changed, so the patterns of working have also changed. As for cost savings, it is mythical because it is a cost shift to the employee to work at home. Ultimately, it hits the taxpayers because the space allocated to home offices and related equipment is a tax deductible item. There is value to sitting across the table from someone and having the sort of conversation that leads to something different, or original, that might not have happened by email, text, Skype or what-have-you. Variable with the work and the individual employee, some combination of fixed-base and nomadic workstyle will continue to evolve. Just my two cents.

I worked from home for 7 years and recently got a job in an office. While I like the office environment I am three times more productive at home. While I’d like to work from home 50% of the time it’s not really an option.

It’s too bad more employers don’t see the value in it. While it’s not for everyone, once you get over the sleeping in and watching TV, folding laundry phase, it’s wonderful and really a win-win.

I agree that productivity increases, commute time disappears, and flexibility is great when working from home. However, in an industry that exists to provide workplaces (ie office space and all that goes with the space ) and all the associated services and functions – design, construction, furniture, etc, the trend towards working at home could have long reaching detrimental impact to the office market by reducing the need for office buildings. Will we, as we adjust to working remotely, also need to redirect our collective business pursuits?

As technology gets better, the argument for increased telecommuting is stronger and by quantifying the savings we can effectively promote bencing/hotelling solutions to clients, at least for a part of the office to drive down overhead real estate costs. Evolution of the workplace.

I think it all depends on the level of actual engagement necessary for the work that you do. In my business, design is a collaborative, spontaneous, ever-evolving process that engages many different players, from architects and engineers to product vendors and clients. The type of interaction is decided on phasing – face to face collaboration is key in schematic and design development but during construction documents you’re working 50+ hours on Autocad drawings where home is great place for uninterrupted work. Companies will continue to utilize best practices and ultimately allow as much flexibility as possible, as long as the result is great design.

I’ve worked from home for over 13 years. Was a big transition, difficult to bounce ideas off of colleagues or a session of brain storming on a project. Over the years, technology has made working from home almost like being in the office. If a company wants employees to work from home then the company has to embrace spending money on technology to keep their workforce equipped with the latest and greatest. I am more productive @ home – duh – the office is there 24/7. Flex time is a major benefit. While I have a dedicated home office – often I will opt for a change of scenery – work from my outdoor covered patio or dinning room. I’ve taken conference calls from my balcony – mixing things up so I don’t feel like I’m in my dungeon!