For many of us, the daily commute to work often has us wondering why we bother at all, especially since improved communication methods and technology mean that much of our work can be done remotely. On the other hand however, think of the socialising with colleagues you would miss out on if you worked purely from home, and the incredible amount of discipline and motivation one would need to ensure they can work anywhere near as effectively. The saying, “the grass is greener on the other side” often rings true for such a situation – when one works in an office they find themselves wishing they could work from home, and vice versa. Below are some considerations when choosing where works best for you.
Working from home
Pros
You save a lot of time and money – That extra hour or two in bed in the morning is finally a possibility! For many people, the few hours before their shift starts would be better suited to extra sleep, or even starting work earlier so they can finish earlier. We also know how straining commuting to and from work can be, not to mention painful on your finances, so staying at home can pretty much eliminate this problem. Many organisations are now investing in easy room scheduling software to allow their employees to book rooms and organize meetings remotely, so you would only need to come in when needed!
Reduced distractions – This really depends on the type of person you are too – if you find yourself easily distracted by your phone, television, or even family, then working at home might not be the best for you. However, you may benefit from reduced face-to-face communication from colleagues and your boss who always seems to check up on you while you’re having a short break. A study has shown that many workplace distractions come about due to general workplace chit-chat; something that could be easily avoided by working from home.
Cons
It’s hard to motivate yourself – Many of us are used to working with supervision around us, keeping us in line and ensuring our focus is on our jobs, but working from home can be completely different. Losing the boss looking over your shoulder may feel like a burden removed, but learning to motivate yourself otherwise can prove tricky. Sure, there are productivity apps that track how much time you are actually spending working, but it is a far cry from having the pressure of your colleagues checking up on you physically.
It’s harder to make friends with colleagues – You will no doubt have less of a relationship with your colleagues if you work from home, than if you see them everyday at the office. The odd communication by email or messaging apps will never compensate for actual interactions that come about from working in close quarters. This may be difficult for the more extroverted to handle.
Working at an office
Pros
Your home bills will be lower – While you may be spending money commuting to and from work, you would no doubt be running up the utilities even more if you stay at home. Think about during the winter and summer months where you’ll have the heating or air-conditioner on an extra 8-10 hours a day when you would have been in the office. Working at an office is more energy efficient, especially for large numbers of people as they would be sharing such resources, and you’ll notice what an effect spending 10 hours a day outside of your house does for your bills!
Communication can be faster – Sure, we all tend to be looking at our computers and phones most of the time anyways, so getting answers quickly isn’t usually a problem, but often the answer could just be with the person next to you. Answers almost certainly come faster when asked in person.
Cons
You can never be productive the whole time you are at work – This is a common misconception, just because someone is at work for 8 hours a day does not mean that they are really working the whole time. You could spend the same amount of time working remotely as well as working on other things, and not feel like you’re wasting your time at work.
It’s less healthy – Being cooped up in an office all day can lead to ill health, physically and mentally. More often than not, you’ll be sat at a desk for most of your day, devoid of much exercise, and if you’re even more unlucky you won’t even have a window to look out of. This can all very quickly take its toll on people, plus if one of your colleagues is sick, it can spread very quickly.