Homeworking

The other day an e-mail arrived bearing the subject line “working at home could damage the health of employees” and, given (a) my hypochondria and (b) I work from home a lot, I couldn’t have been more intrigued if it had come attached with a large cheque.

“Innovative wellbeing organisation, Water Wellpoint is warning that away from the office, homeworkers may change some of their daily habits, which could have a detrimental effect on their wellbeing,” it began. “In particular, working in a big office often provides access to . . . drinking water. Leaving the office environment and working at home could see people drinking less water on a daily basis.”

Now, some might object to Water Wellpoint’s argument on the ground that most homes have things called taps, gushing forth a liquid called water, which minimises the probability of dehydration. They might also point out that Water Wellpoint are hardly neutral observers, given that they make money from supplying watercoolers. But not me. As they say later in the e-mail, “hydration is key to staying in peak condition” and, if I were allowed to give my unborn children only three titbits of advice, “drink more water” would be right up there alongside “never trust a man with a moustache” and “never take out an extended guarantee on a dishwasher”.

But is dehydration the biggest downside of homeworking? Surely there are more devastating side-effects? To find out…

Read atTimes Online