There is no simple answer, it will mostly depend on personal preference on whether you would find it better to work from home or in an office space. Some people will hate the idea of being confined to their home for work, whereas others will see it as a positive in saving time and money. In this article, we are going to discuss the good and bad points of working from home, this will help you to determine whether this would be the right career move for you.
What jobs allow you to work from home?
These jobs are able to be carried out in the comfort of your own home, this relies on a stable internet connection that allows you to communicate and send work to co-workers and managers. They can also be described as ‘telecommuting’ job roles.
Why would businesses choose to have their employees working from home?
This can allow the business to cut costs on rent expenditure, by having a smaller office space to affiliate people coming in and out of the work space when they need too. It shows a lot of trust in employees and gives them more freedom than they would find working in the office.
The Positives Of Working From Home?
It’s less expensive to work from home as you can save money on expenses like travel, work clothes, lunches and coffees and child or dog care. This can be a large benefit for employees especially if they have far to travel for work, this will save them in larger petrol usage and expensive train tickets.
You can create your own workspace that you know will inspire you. You can use your favourite colours, invest in a luxurious and comfortable office chair and put a comfy chair in the corner for any reading you want to do away from your desk.
Workers can produce a better work-life balance, by saving time commuting this can leave you with more energy and time to be more personally productive outside of the workplace. Saving an hour on commuting can mean you can gain more sleep, have the energy to exercise after work all in the same hours of the day.
For some people, it will increase productivity as they will face no office distractions, the independence will provide better technical and communication skills. Away from the office, this can provide people with more confidence knowing they aren’t being watched and employers are trusted to work effectively at home.
With more time to yourself, a better work-life balance and an increase in confidence, this can increase your job satisfaction, making you happier at work and equally in life.
These positives may not apply to each individual, as the cons may outweigh the pros if you enjoy the office lifestyle.
The Disadvantages Of Working From Home?
You can face an increased feeling of isolation, with less face to face time especially if you are often working independently. The key to feeling less isolated if you are working at home is to spend the time you save commuting making plans with friends and family outside of work so you are able to connect with others at some point through the day.
As an employer, it can be good to offer regular team events to encourage socialisation with work colleagues and prevent an increase of satisfaction and loneliness.
You can find distractions at home that you won’t find in the office, distractions like pets, television or household chores can affect your job. With any job or workplace, too many distractions can decrease in productivity and motivation. You can try to avoid these distractions by placing your workspace in a distraction free zone, out of sight of the TV, etc.
Even the advantages that we have described may seem like a disadvantage to some people, to help you decide whether working from home will be the right career move for you, you need to reflect on how you best perform and what you enjoy most about work? If it is socialising with your colleagues, working from home may not be for you. If it’s being able to produce the best outcome of work with no distractions? Working from home may suit you and your lifestyle.