Communication difficulties
Communication is usually easier with colleagues when in a face to face environment when a conversation can be more about context rather than words being exchanged and body language is visible.
With your team continuing to work from home, good communication could deteriorate over the long term, causing issues at your business.
Social isolation
Many people don’t just see their job as a way of earning money, but a social experience where they can spend time out of their house engaging with different people.
Working together at the business premises helps a team build meaningful relationships with colleagues, leading to stronger cohesion as a team, which is something that is missed out on if people are working from home.
IT Security concerns
Most businesses will provide IT equipment if necessary for the job, with security software and training provided by the business. However, if someone is working from home with their equipment, this can be a security concern if it’s not properly managed.
If members of your team are working from home on equipment that you haven’t provided, you won’t know what kind of cybersecurity software that they have in place. We have previously written an article about the importance of cybersecurity when working from home.
Loss of productivity
Whether or not working from home improves or worsens productivity is subject to debate. Many studies show that working from home can actually improve the productivity of your team, but many people also feel that they work better in an office.
Whilst studies show that some people are more productive at home, we have included it in the negatives because those who are less productive working from home can cause an issue for your business.
When deciding whether or not you are going to keep your team working from home or not, don’t just take a general consensus, and be flexible to the needs of your colleagues, whether they are productive working from home or a business site.