HEADING to the office is not a big deal for Mr Edwin Lam. For him, and for many others like him who work from home, going to work basically involves moving from one bedroom to another.

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Mr Lam, a segment manager for InfoPrint Solutions Company, begins his day at 7am with a call to colleagues in the United States before taking his four kids to school. He then returns home to attend to e-mail, teleconferences and other tasks before rounding off the day with a final call to his US colleagues.

The details might differ but his basic routine would be familiar to thousands of people in Singapore who call home the office. The practice has become increasingly popular as firms start to explore alternative work arrangements beyond the typical 9-to-5 office day, according to human resource experts.

'We have seen more companies starting to show an interest in work-from- home arrangements. Employers are becoming more open to this concept, together with other initiatives such as 'flexitime',' said Mr Mark Ellwood, regional managing director for recruitment consultancy Robert Walters.

Mr Josh Goh, senior manager of corporate services with The GMP Group, agreed: 'More firms are jumping on the bandwagon as they aim to be employers of choice by adopting human resource initiatives that improve work-life balance - including work-from-home initiatives.'

The increased interest has meant more business for firms selling work-from- home technologies. Cisco told The Straits Times that there has been 'very strong interest' in its telecommuting solutions over the past year. Telecommuting tools, such as routers and business phones, enable employees to work remotely.

Employees who work from home tend to be more satisfied with their work-life balance, particularly those who want more time for their kids or to care for elderly parents.

But having staff working from home may not be every company's cup of tea. The practice tends to be more popular among larger companies and multinationals, according to human resource consultants.

'Many companies... are from the United States. And if the corporate headquarters have such practices, other branch offices are likely to follow suit,' said Mr Paul Heng, founder of NeXT Career Consulting Group. 'Small and medium-sized enterprises may not be ready to do this as they need all hands on deck.' Also, not every function in a company can be carried out at home.

Said NetApp's senior human resource director of Asia-Pacific, Mr C.Y. Yao: 'While a flexible work schedule serves many purposes, it will work only for those whose work scope entails measurable results.'

Read the full story in Monday's edition of The Straits Times

katelim@sph.com.sg