" Working from Home "

Not quite the same as WFH, but back in the late1980’s, I worked a a Facility Manager in a Leisure Centre. I could pick and choose most of my hours to work, my Council bosses were delighted to have someone who did this as “Leisure” is a 24/7 business, and anyone who only does the 9-5, 5 days a week, weekend off routine simply does not have a finger on the pulse of everything that is going on, public/staff issues, and opportunities to increase provision and therefore income. I did this all my working life, right through Area Management, and Principal Officer status. Occasionally, (it was pre the internet revolution) I would work at home if I had a report to finish, or needed a quiet environment to prepare for important meetings. It’s about trust, both ways.

Many WFH environments are very controlled, Big Brother hanging over your shoulder all the time. You have to pick and choose your options to suit if you can.

I think it wrong to assume that people working from home do so unregulated?  They will still have to meet productivity targets and in this world of modern technology that is not difficult to monitor. Obviously it depends on what sort of home working is being undertaken. If it is customer facing within prescribed hours then people have to be available during those hours. However there are many types of home working where there might be an advantage in using what some might see as anti social hours to complete work. Whilst I was at work I would often do monthly reports and staff appraisals in my own time as I found working in the evening both peaceful and productive. It wasn't a requirement of my job but it is possible that people that do work from home find they are more productive at quieter times of day which allows them the freedom to do other things at other times of day.

David

The simple answer, David, is that I know her, her family and her parents very well.

How is that relevant in any meaningful way though?  

The only important or relevant matter is the relationship between the daughter and employer and her T&Cs of her contract and how happy they are with her.

Also it is the employer or her direct line manager that sets her work and duties and is responsible for ensuring they are met. You are not her employer and therefore have no idea if they are or not. As I said It is for the empoyer's to decide if she working well or not.

Additionally I have to say that if you do know them all very well then casting aspersions about her work and conscience on a public forum would be a puzzling thing for me to do.  

PS who's David?

I think it is far too easy to make assumptions about people's work habits when working from home without any real justification for those assumptions (no matter how well you know the person concerned). One of our close neighbours has worked from home for several years  (for the MoD); often when I get up in the night  (I'm of the age where that is becoming increasingly frequent! ) I notice that the light in his study is on - should I assume he's still working? Or maybe he just forgot to turn the lights off when he went to bed. But then it's really none of my concern, is it?

I seem to remember some research a couple of years back showing that folk working from home were generally far more productive than their peers working "in the office" (or wherever) with the constant temptation to stop to chat to colleagues, visit the coffee machine, answer phone calls etc etc.

As said above, if the individual's line manager is satisfied, where is the problem?