Home working ‘reduces stress but leads to progression fears’

Working from home reduces the stress experienced by employees but leads to fears concerning career progression, it has been suggested.

According to a study conducted by the Durham Business School, while operating from home was found to have a generally positive effect on employees’ work-life balance and lead to reduced "burnout", it was also found to contribute to worry about missing out on so-called "water cooler networking".

Tom Redman, professor of human resource management at the Durham Business School, stated: "There were worries from those we surveyed about a lack of face-time in an organisation – simply because their face wasn’t there to be seen."

He added that, while for professional employees in knowledge-based industries, home-working is an "antidote" to the stress of the office, it may lead to lower levels of support for career development.

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Earlier this year, Victoria Winkler, an advisor for the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, stated that university graduates are increasingly looking for jobs that incorporate flexible working opportunities.