According to a survey by Workopolis, people believe they are more productive when they work from home and businesses believe they are able to retain employees longer by offering them flexible options to work from home. It is felt that working from home helps employees to maintain their work life balance and also save time and money. This has led to an increased emphasis on telecommuting among Canadian firms. Despite the enormous benefits for small businesses, there are also costs associated with establishing telework systems by incorporating efficient software and hardware upgrades.

Questions:

1. Do you think working from home will affect the social interaction among employees?
2. Will reduced social interaction among employees hinder group cohesion and group performance?
3. Do employees who work from home identify less or more with their firms?

SOURCE: Omar El Akkad, “Benefits of working from home add up” The Globe and Mail, (Retrievable  online at  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/small-business/digital/web-strategy/benefits-of-working-from-home-add-up/article2201144/