Virtual Offices

Virtual Offices

  • Yes

    Votes: 36 90.0%

  • No

    Votes: 2 5.0%

  • Not Possible

    Votes: 2 5.0%
  • Total voters
    40
Zarnicate

Zarnicate

Senior Member
Joined
May 15, 2016
Messages
728
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345
Location
Montana Park
"The concept of a virtual office has been around for many years. The benefits to the affected employee are obvious – more time with family, less wasted time on the roads, lower fuel costs, a comfortable work environment, etc. The concept of a virtual office has been around for many years. The benefits to the affected employee are obvious – more time with family, less wasted time on the roads, lower fuel costs, a comfortable work environment, etc. "

https://www.news24.com/MyNews24/virtual-offices-can-make-a-huge-societal-impact-20190425

For me this makes perfect sense as I have no need to be in an office.
Who else would be able to work in a virtual office?
What other benefits or downsides?
 
100% behind this, I could easily work remotely. How more businesses don't take advantage of technology (meetings can be done via Skype where required) is beyond me. They'd save on rent, utility bills, cut down on employee sick days / absenteeism (a happier workforce is a more reliable workforce).

The potential pitfall for the business are people who are incapable of self management and discipline (there's always somebody who is going to jack the system and just generally loaf off without direct supervision) - but even this can be managed remotely in most instances using programs that log active time connected to the companies servers etc. I cannot think of a single pitfall from en employee side.

Living in Pta and having to drive to Fourways every day is murder. The old school style of bosses equating time at desk to productivity is just draconian.
 
This is the future as fuel costs become increasingly unaffordable and the affects of fuel on the environment.
The key is to manage virtual offices effectively so, as mentioned in the post above, employees don't bugger around.
 
crocopede said:
We tried this but unfortunately, a few of them decided to rather sit and do nothing at home and then it was removed after 3 months.
Click to expand...

This makes me angry beyond belief.... we now have a biosensor timing clock in device at our offices for this exact reason.... some people just don't know how to adult. Pisses me off no end.
 
Zarnicate said:
"The concept of a virtual office has been around for many years. The benefits to the affected employee are obvious – more time with family, less wasted time on the roads, lower fuel costs, a comfortable work environment, etc. The concept of a virtual office has been around for many years. The benefits to the affected employee are obvious – more time with family, less wasted time on the roads, lower fuel costs, a comfortable work environment, etc. "

https://www.news24.com/MyNews24/virtual-offices-can-make-a-huge-societal-impact-20190425

For me this makes perfect sense as I have no need to be in an office.
Who else would be able to work in a virtual office?
What other benefits or downsides?
Click to expand...

I can already work from home and I do if I'm sick or need to do something or can't get to the office. I have no need to be in the office apart from Budget meetings and so forth.
 
I think all offices should have this as an option for when people or their children are sick. Offices would most likely see a drastic increase in productivity with less sick days being taken.
 
Would love this but I could not.

I have to manage a team of people and engage with clients, often at a moments notice.
 
My wife works 3 days a week from home. One pitfall is that the employer then thinks they owe you 24/7. She will get messages at night to look at urgent things. There must be proper ground rules for both sides.

I'd love to work from home but is not possible.
 
I can see how this would work brilliantly for those who have no involvement or are responsible for other people.

Especially those that in essence get their work from a server and is all done on pc exclusively.

Proper meetings need to be done on site though, having big discussions especially complex ones are **** to argue over Skype.
 
We had an incredibly controlling director who insisted we be at the office under his close watch every day up until about a year ago when he left and since then we have a new office with no "management" (regus office - our management is in JHB and Zim, we are in CPT) and we work from home minimum 2 days a week or whenever we need to be at home and not in the office.

Productivity has actually gone up and the whole atmosphere is more pleasant. But as others have mentioned it's heavily dependent on your team - we have a great team who all actually care about doing their work
 
PoppieChoffel said:
100% behind this, I could easily work remotely. How more businesses don't take advantage of technology (meetings can be done via Skype where required) is beyond me. They'd save on rent, utility bills, cut down on employee sick days / absenteeism (a happier workforce is a more reliable workforce).

The potential pitfall for the business are people who are incapable of self management and discipline (there's always somebody who is going to jack the system and just generally loaf off without direct supervision) - but even this can be managed remotely in most instances using programs that log active time connected to the companies servers etc. I cannot think of a single pitfall from en employee side.

Living in Pta and having to drive to Fourways every day is murder. The old school style of bosses equating time at desk to productivity is just draconian.
Click to expand...

Seems a bit extreme that level of monitoring, perhaps just check if what it is they do is being done in a timely fashion, if not, they can be disciplined.
 
Pitbull said:
I can already work from home and I do if I'm sick or need to do something or can't get to the office. I have no need to be in the office apart from Budget meetings and so forth.
Click to expand...

Pfft and I thought you were gunning it from Harties to Joziburg and back everyday and dealing with outrageous petrol expenditure. :eek:

Fake news.
 
Knyro said:
Pfft and I thought you were gunning it from Harties to Joziburg and back everyday and dealing with outrageous petrol expenditure. :eek:

Fake news.
Click to expand...

I do, but Pretoria not Joburg. 135KM round trip a day, R 800 - R 1 000 in fuel every week. I probably work from home about 4 times a month on Average.
 
I work from home 4 days a week. Starting at 7am I get up at 6am and get settled. On the one day I have to work at the office I have to be up at 4:30 to get ready and go to the office.

Also we found that the team is less productive in office than when working from home.
 
PoppieChoffel said:
Because some people would rather paint everyone with the same brush than handle confrontation
Click to expand...

Annoying that, we have a case here where if your work is being done you can do as you like no one is going to give you shite, loads of people leave early or spend time in the canteen etc etc, others complain but these are mostly the unproductive in an attempt to be even more unproductive.
 
I unfortunately also fall in the archaic management that thinks you work more when you are at the office but as mentioned above people sit in the canteen and chat, walk around etc...no actual work gets done.

We do have the option to work from home on special occasions but I see no reason why it couldn't be permanent.

If management is so concerned with people doing nothing at home just monitor output/performance. Have software that monitors activity or something
 
Zarnicate said:
I unfortunately also fall in the archaic management that thinks you work more when you are at the office but as mentioned above people sit in the canteen and chat, walk around etc...no actual work gets done.

We do have the option to work from home on special occasions but I see no reason why it couldn't be permanent.

If management is so concerned with people doing nothing at home just monitor output/performance. Have software that monitors activity or something
Click to expand...

If I'm 100% honest, I'm way more productive at home than at work. No distractions at home, and I can smoke at my Laptop...
 
Zarnicate said:
I unfortunately also fall in the archaic management that thinks you work more when you are at the office but as mentioned above people sit in the canteen and chat, walk around etc...no actual work gets done.

We do have the option to work from home on special occasions but I see no reason why it couldn't be permanent.

If management is so concerned with people doing nothing at home just monitor output/performance. Have software that monitors activity or something
Click to expand...

Problem with that software is what they will see, for Example Sannie was at her PC on the work software for 3.5 hours today and Jannie for 8. Now they will scold Sannie for not working enough but what they don't consider is Sannie is done with her work, projects up to date and Jannie hasn't finished they day's stuff or worked on any of his projects.
 
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