Many companies are realising the benefits of allowing employees to work from home – if not all of the time, at least some of the time. It frees up office space, cuts down on overheads, can increase productivity and helps reduce a company’s carbon footprint by reducing staff mileage.
And for employees, the benefits of working at home are plain to see – fewer distractions, a more comfortable environment, no stressful commute to work and the ability to juggle home and work life more easily to spend quality time with your family.
But does working from home actually benefit the environment? And how does the home environment affect our own health?
On the surface, working from home seems like the environmentally-friendly choice. After all, if staff doesn’t need to drive to get to work, it can seriously cut down traffic fumes and carbon emissions. However, others have pointed out that having lots of people working separately in homes that have to be lit, heated and powered may be less environmentally efficient than having a large team sharing one office space and little things like boiling a kettle for just one person at home can be much less energy efficient than boiling a kettle for several people in the workplace.
The answer is to allow people to work from home but encourage them to make environmentally-friendly choices while doing so. Here are just some of the ways to be healthier and greener when working from home:
Eating
One big benefit of working at home is that you have more freedom over what you eat. When you are no longer reliant on take away coffee in plastic cups or mass-produced, over-packaged sandwiches and water in plastic bottles, your eating habits can be much healthier, both for you and for the environment. When making hot drinks at home, remember to boil just one cup of water at a time rather than filling the kettle to the top.
Recycling
Some offices are great at recycling but others don’t make provisions for recycling. At home, you can create your own simple systems for recycling things like ink cartridges and paper. You can also set up your printer to print on both sides, use environmentally-friendly paper and cut down on the amount of paper you use.
Lighting and heating
If you are at home on your own, you probably only need to heat and light one room during the working day – so remember to turn off the lights and radiators in the rooms you are not using. This is much better than large offices where corridors, kitchens, reception areas and meeting rooms often remain heated, lit or air conditioned even when no one is using them.
Look after yourself
Working in a home environment is very different to working in an office and although at first it may seem like a luxury to be able to work in your pyjamas and take breaks when you want, it’s important to look after your health. Eat well, have a routine and make sure you take regular walks to get some fresh air. It’s also good to stay in contact with your colleagues so that you don’t feel isolated – a quick phone call or email can make all the difference.
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