ABSTRACT
It cannot be stressed too highly that remote working is not a replacement for proper childcare facilities and appropriate family-friendly procedures. However, one of the benefits of flexible and remote working can be better work–life balance for those with children/dependants. A consequence of this is that the remote workers often find themselves having to work in the same environment, even share their office, with their children/pets and other dependants. This is a factor which is largely out of the control of the employer, but is something on which they should be prepared to offer advice and support. This is not a subject that office-based HR staff and managers will necessarily be familiar with. On the whole it should not be a problem, after all one of the benefits to remote workers is the freedom to fit home and work life together more easily. This chapter offers suggested approaches to the issues that remote workers will encounter that they will not meet up with in the conventional workplace. We have written this chapter in an easy, accessible style with the remote worker in mind, and HR may consider providing those thinking about the change to remote working with a copy to read.
