Employees wanting to work from home

What if you have a biller that wants to work from home?  What are been the pros and cons? I do have clients that allow their coders to work for home. In these situations, they work in the office one to two days a week and work at home the rest of the time.

The pros:  I think they're more efficient because there are fewer interruptions at home.  The office also saves on space requirements at the office.  The employees love it because they save on commuting time and costs, don't have to dress up every day, etc.

The cons: It's really hard to have a staff meeting that includes everyone, because they have to make a special trip to the office for it.  It delays charge entry a bit because they pick up a week's worth of work at a time, code and enter it all from home, and then pick up the next accumulated week's worth of work on their next day in the office.

More cons:  If they have computer problems, it can be difficult to get them back up and running. And if – heaven forbid – there's a sudden illness or a death in the family – it can be problematic to get our documents back from their home.

Most of my clients have been pleased with having telecommuters in the business office.  I do think however you need to have experienced, mature, motivated people to make this work well.

About the Author

Reed Tinsley CPA

This article is written by Reed Tinsley, a Houston, TX-based CPA with over 30 years of experience advising physicians and medical practices across Texas and the United States. Reed holds certifications as a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA), Certified Healthcare Business Consultant (CHBC), and Certified Financial Planner (CFP), specializing exclusively in the healthcare sector. He is a published author, nationally recognized speaker, and trusted advisor to physicians on accounting & tax, practice management, and financial planning. Schedule a Free Consultation.