Does it have to take a pandemic or a disaster to make more of home working?

Swine flu is a scary thing. No one wants to take any chances with it and some employers are imposing an unofficial quarantine on employees who have recently returned from Mexico.

Lack of productivity in these hard times is unpalatable too, so arrangements are being made for such employees to work from home, where they are fit to do so.

Not so long ago this would entail files and dictation tapes being shuttled backwards and forwards, and with many firms this may still be the case. But now that remote connections to servers are easy to set up, good broadband speeds abound and digital dictation can even be sent via smart phones, home workers can be ‘virtually’ in the office.

Some law firms are now carrying a lot of expensive empty office space following recession-fuelled redundancies. When work picks up, should they fill the space again? Or maybe offload it at the next break period in their lease and employ more staff on work from home contracts?

Andrew Woolley has pioneered the virtual office. From working at home out of economic necessity when he first set up his own practice, he realised he could employ others on a similar basis when he started to expand. He now has a wide geographical reach without having to maintain buildings in many locations around the country. His colleagues like the model – time is not wasted travelling to and from an office, and clients are happy to meet at serviced offices, hotel lobbies, even motorway service stations. They are especially happy when they realise that this arrangement supports manageable fixed fees rather than open ended hourly rates.

This way of working is not for everyone, sure. Some like the company of others in the workplace and the synergy that this can create should not be underestimated. There is no reason though why regular get-togethers cannot be arranged, while working day to day without the distractions of office politics.

They say that when America sneezes everyone catches a cold; this time, sadly it’s happening literally. One of the long-term remedies, in the workplace at least, could come in the shape of more virtual working.