15. Disadvantages of teleworking

For individuals

- It is hard to feel like you can ever get away from work.

- You might end up working longer hours than you would in an office. You think, 'I'll just do a bit more, I'll just check my email'.

- You might always be 'on call'. Because you are at home, the office might think that you are always available to do just a bit more work

- Sometimes it can be hard to motivate yourself. There can be a lot of distractions and you might be tempted to do other things rather than work

- You can miss out on the social side of work. There is no team spirit, no one to talk to and you can feel lonely

- It might affect your career prospects. If a promotion comes up in the office, you might not be thought about for the role.

For the company

- They are not always sure that people are putting in the right amount of hours

- Work might not be delivered on time

- Workers might not be at home to receive an email or urgent telephone call

- Work might be of a lower standard than when produced in the office

- Hard to motivate staff and have a feeling of a good company spirit.

- Managers still like face to face contact with employees

- Firms might have to address the criticism that they are running 'digital sweatshops'

- There might be legal issues such as insurance and health and safety implications