Smart working is an increasingly popular concept.

According to International Data Corporation in 2022 about 65 percent of the European workforce will be made up of mobile workers, a revolution that could involve about 10 million people in Italy.

It goes without saying, in certain circumstances, working from home can be very advantageous, but bear in mind that there are risks at the psycho-physical level for workers who wish to adopt this model. Here’s a list of the pros and cons.

Benefits of Smart Working

There are many advantages in creating a home-office environment.

Studies carried out by industry experts have shown that work from home can significantly reduce accumulated stress and allow better performance of the tasks assigned. In the Nordic countries smart working is widespread because it is believed that the employee who has this privilege demonstrates a closer connection to the company.

In short, it seems that avoiding morning traffic while travelling to and from work, having one’s own space and timing to perform a specific job, not having to encounter annoying colleagues every day or be locked into the schedule on the time card, etc. has a positive effect on productivity.

In short:

• Less stress
• More time for work, but also for oneself
• Farewell to extra expenses such as: petrol, public transport tickets, parking, etc.
• You don’t need to punch in anymore.

“Smart Working is not a way to grow an organization’s brand reputation. Smart Working is a way for an organization to survive.”

A. Solimene

Disadvantages of Smart Working

However, we also have to deal with the many disadvantages, such as continuous availability and the risk that work overlaps one’s private life.
You may find friends or family in your home while working and you have to make a choice to the detriment of either your emotional life or work life. Therefore you have to consider the ability of each individual to concentrate in an environment abounding in positive stimuli such as their own home and the innate need for socialization of those who make it better by working as a team. Finally, there is the risk of spending many more hours working at home than an office with a fixed schedule.

In short:

• Work more
• The working environment is the same as the home environment
• Little real contact with people
• Easy distractions
• Loneliness during working hours
• Low interaction with the work team
• Growth of distraction factors
• Lack of separation between work and home environment