If you are like the many that have had the opportunity to continue to work from home you may feel privileged or you may feel being in the office suits you better.
There are many disadvantages as well as advantages with working remote vs in the office.
Some downsides to working from home, ranging from distractions, to technology issues, to feeling like you never stop work.
Here are some things to consider if you’ve got a choice about whether and how much you want to work from home.
Many remote workers feel they never stop working because they don’t leave the workplace, such as checking emails throughout the evening or at night.
Increased isolation, you can become quite isolated working from home if you spend the majority of your time by yourself and working independently.
Common pros and cons of working from home
Here’s some of the most common pros and cons of working from home:
- Pro: More independence
- Con: Increased isolation
- Pro: No commute, save on gas
- Con: Increased home office costs
- Pro: Increased productivity
- Con: Risk of overworking
- Pro: Increased flexibility
- Con: Less face time and socialization
Many remote workers, especially women, are distracted by children when they work remotely.
It is apparent that you have a separate room away from noise and distraction like household pets barking or outside distractions and proper daycare lined up.
Harder to Collaborate and Manage Work Relationships
Despite all the collaborative tools and ways technology has given us to communicate with each other online, sometimes there’s no substitute for face-to-face interaction.
People sitting around a table looking over drawings may be able to solve a problem in minutes that might take days using online collaboration tools.
And discussing touchy issues with a colleague or bonding with colleagues can be much easier when done face-to-face than on video chat.
It’s easier to misread cues or step on each others’ words over electronic communication.
Benefits from working from home
Reduction in work absences, since working from home offers flexibility, it can also reduce work absences.
Whether you’re sick or have to schedule an important appointment, working from home can reduce how often you need to take a day off.
Increases satisfaction, employee satisfaction in remote positions may be higher because of the flexibility in performing their jobs.
Not only are you able to make decisions independently, but you’re also able to work comfortably without the worry of office-related stress, interruptions or other challenges you might find in a traditional workplace.
This can have a direct influence on your overall job satisfaction.
Provides work-life balance
In many cases, working from home can help you care for your work-life balance by allowing you to schedule your work around your personal life. Working remotely can afford you more time in your home to take care of essential tasks that benefit your lifestyle, mental health, time management, sleep and caring for your health better.
Mental health
PRO – Less stress and more self care
“The amount of stress we are under due to working late, office politics and more is certainly mitigated while working from home. A less stressful work environment can create more productivity in less time. This means there is time for more self-care strategies during the work day and around the work day. Just think, you could be on a conference call while doing yoga!” Including relaxation time, limiting your time in the mirror getting ready and saving money on work attire.
PRO – Less time commuting means more time for yourself and with
family
“The one thing that we wish we had more of is time. If you work from home and establish good work and life boundaries you can easily have more built in time to spend with your family. If you aren’t battling traffic jams you may have more time to eat a good meal or even to put your kids to bed without evening chaos. Additionally, you might be able to squeeze in some extra time for exercise. Going for a walk during the day just got easier.”
If you do not work from home and want to, the good news is that many companies are permanently switching to 100% remote. Many companies are now figuring out that permanent remote work is the future of work. This means maybe for you a change in careers would be in your future.
This post was written by Lauren K., and published by Convenient Counseling Services.
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