Working From Home — Pros And Cons

I've been off ill for the last few days and today when I called in with a status update (I'll be off tomorrow as well), I offered to try to do some work from home. That's not feasible given that we work via multiple servers but it's got me thinking: how does working from home differ from working in the office?

Debilitating leg cramps and night sweats make it impossible to sleep so I can't concentrate particularly well at the moment. When I offered to work from home it was on the understanding that I would be less productive than at work. Mind you, some of my colleagues are set up to work from home and they seem to be productive enough. When weighing up the pros and cons of working from home there are four factors to consider:

1. feasibility
2. productivity
3. accountability
4. sustainability

Let's take a closer look.

1. Feasibility

Admin work is easy enough to do from home if you only need a PC, a phone, and a connection to the internet. Access to the company intranet shouldn't be that hard to arrange, but when you're working via multiple servers using VPNs, etc., security becomes an issue.

Security

If your PC is infected by some little punk with a keylogger or via social engineering you could compromise your company's security and render it vulnerable to all sorts of online shenanigans. Remember the Sony hack? That was down to malware and an insecure password folder and all of this must be considered before permitting anyone to work from home; how much havoc could be wreaked if the PC or laptop was compromised or stolen?

Suitability

All of this is moot if the actual job can't be done from home. Many of my colleagues in management positions are obliged to carry laptops around and they are on the road a lot, but that is what their jobs demand. If you need to be in the office to meet people personally or yours is a customer-facing industry, it's not going to be possible.

2. Productivity

Not having to commute and being able to wear what you like should make you more relaxed but that won't necessarily improve your productivity.

Distractions

I used to run my own web design business, Wendy Cockcroft Web Design. I closed it down when I started my present job but I learned a lot from the experience while it was running. Distractions were my biggest problem, bar none. I love interacting with other people via social media and since my time was my own when I wasn't serving clients, I would spend many happy hours messing about online. When a client came along I had to get work done but I must confess my mind wasn't always on the job if I had a particularly interesting conversation going on. Partners, kids, and pets can also get in the way when you're trying to get work done.

Motivation

Per a Monster article on working from home, most of us are social creatures and even if we're perfectly happy working from home, we need to get face time with bosses and colleagues as we end up missing out on camaraderie and personal input when we're not physically present. Social factors play a big role in motivating us so if we do decide to work from home we need to check in from time to time.

3. Accountability

At home, no one can see how much work you're doing and what else you are getting up to. For the most part I'm sure this doesn't matter but when you're being evaluated, what can you do to prove your contention that you're every bit as productive as your colleagues, if not more so? Being accountable protects both parties.

Tick-lists and stats

Back in the days when I worked for an insurance company, then later, at a bank, we had to provide a list of activities with times beside them to account for each minute of the day we were at work. I hated it for the micro-managing jobsworthy make-work nonsense that it is, but I can see value in setting a standard and sticking to it. A tick-list of tasks and a quick count of the number of orders processed, emails answered, and updates added ought to suffice for record-keeping purposes and if you have to answer for the way you spend your time you have that to refer to.

Check in and out

I'd suggest a quick call or email to your line manager when you're supposed to start your day, when you take breaks, and at the end of the day, do the same to sign off. That way you've got a checkable record of your time-keeping and adherence to schedule. This helps to demonstrate your trustworthiness as an employee and shows that you're maintaining discipline.

4. Sustainability

Working from home is only really sustainable if you're as productive and efficient at home as you are in the office. Since you don't have to commute to get to work you'd save a lot of money but ultimately some people are more temperamentally suited to it than others.

Flexibility

People who struggle to juggle family life with their jobs, who have disabilities, or who struggle to actually get to work may find this is the best thing ever, particularly when you have a boss who doesn't mind when you get the work done as long as it gets done. I have a colleague who sometimes works from home and sometimes comes in to the office. When you find it difficult to do the school run and get to work on time, working from home can be a great solution.

Limitations

The scope of your job will always determine how likely it is that you receive the opportunity to work from home. Limitations such as the need for you to physically be at the office to carry out specific tasks may hinder you from being considered for higher positions; if you are perceived to be perfectly happy where you are this may affect your career prospects.

Conclusion:

Working from home may well be a viable option for many people and it is a growing trend. If you want to take advantage of it consider all the factors I've presented here and think again; is this really for you? If it is, then good luck and enjoy the freedom and flexibility of working from home.