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Ever since the early 1990’s specialists from various areas of the workplace industry
(property, IT, behavioural) have been offering the new world where most of us Work From Home. This new world order based on the growth in technology and a new age of Internet Business entrepreneurs has promised lots but in reality would appear to have failed to deliver.

Firstly, the premise that a large number of us would in fact have what amounts to online jobs has not occurred. The definition of online jobs in this instance is not usual, the model developed by workplace professionals would see the vast majority of corporate employees employed to work from home, connection to the office would be via their computer. While in most cases these people would have communication on a regular basis with management and team members they would in actual fact carry out their responsibilities via the PC, therefore in essence they will have Online Jobs.

The truth of how working patterns have altered is however, somewhat different. There is no doubt that there has been a rise in flexible working, by which is meant the facility to work in a number of different places and a degree of choice and government displayed by the employee in choosing the most appropriate location for that work but whatever the developments in technology, broadband availability and changes in management culture the sea change just hasn’t happened.

There are a number of reasons why not. Firstly, while advances in technology have made distant working possible, changes in the character of work have made it unwanted. Workplace behaviourists have observed that the vast majority of office based workers now reclassified as knowledge workers, produce output notions, services and strategies. In order for them to function effectively they need relations.

Secondly, the quantum of the effect of flexible working behaviours has been difficult to verify. So while the property costs and benefits are easily measured the real benefits in terms of the contribution to core business of the firm can not be evaluated, even in the case of an Internet Business, where the whole transaction takes place online, there is still a case for co-location and contact which cannot be proven or discounted.

With these two rival factors the growth of flexible working has been sluggish and until workplace industry can display the benefits of productivity or make a solid case for no human contact then it is improbable we will see the promised sea change in working patterns and behaviours.

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