WORKING FROM HOME: PROS & CONS

Some people think it’s the dream, others can’t think of anything worse….here are our thoughts on the pros & cons of working from home…

PROS

• No commute– more time either to actually work if it’s your own business, more time to do what you want in the morning and evening, from having a lie in to going to an evening exercise class
• Comfort – you can work in the way that suits you, from wearing your pj’s to having a seat (or exercise ball) that you’ve chosen
• Cost effective– from not having the price of commuting to making your own lunches at home, it can save you a lot of money!
• Flexibility– most employers who are happy for you to work from home are also happy for you to be flexible with your time and work in the way that is good for you, so long as you’re getting your work done and available for calls / catch-ups when you need to speak to clients, customers or other team members. So if you’re up early or better working in the evenings, then you can use those other hours
• No discrimination– for those who actually need to be more flexible in terms of where they work, e.g. someone who doesn’t live in a city, where most office jobs are, or someone who is less mobile so isn’t able to commute so easily, WFH roles are much more accessible which is a great benefit to an employer as they have more choice of talented applicants!

 

CONS

 

• Cabin Fever– if you’re don’t force yourself out of the house at some point then it can be easy to feel like you’re just stuck inside 4 walls…people who work from home often joke about being in their PJs and not seeing anyone for a few days in a row
• Isolation– if you’re working from home on your own and don’t have regular meetings then you can feel a bit isolated if you don’t see anyone else on a daily basis
• Motivation– if you’re on your own without a manager / team needing answers quite quickly then it can be easy to get distracted at home and therefore find it hard to feel motivated to be productive
• Lack of being active– if you’re at home all day it’s harder to get those steps in! (although you can use the extra time you have to go to an exercise class or even just go for a walk in your local area)

Less sociable – if you rely on colleagues and an office environment for daily interaction with others, then working from home and not having this can be hard especially if you don’t live