Working from home is a concept that has only recently been popularised. With the advent of technology and all the advances which allow us to communicate with multiple people across geographical boundaries, working from home and working with a team are no more mutually exclusive concepts. Although meeting your team in person and working alongside them is sometimes the most effective way to get the job done, it doesn’t suit everyone. Besides, with convenient video conferencing tools and cloud sharing, you don’t need to be at the same location to work together. There are, however, still some taboos related to working from home, like the idea that work can’t get done in such a comfortable environment but the pros of working from home far outweigh the cons.
Here are some things that make work-from-home jobs far better than traditional office jobs:
No Commuting
Working from home saves you the trouble of commuting to your office every day. Most people face a commute of at least half an hour to their place of work, meaning at least an hour is wasted in commute – an hour that can be spent on hobbies, with the family or even working. Commuting to and from work is often gruelling, and takes effort, time and money. Working from home saves you the trouble because your home is your office.
Independence
Although you may be working under a boss, there is no one looking over your shoulder at every instant forcing you to work. As long as you produce the expected results, your boss is happy, and you can spend your time doing whatever you wish if you do the work you’re supposed to and meet your deadlines. You have complete autonomy on your schedule and even the way you dress (Brownie points!). Offices usually require you to wear stuffy and uncomfortable formals but at home, you can wear whatever you’re comfortable with.
Flexible Timings
You have complete control over what you do over the day. You can adjust your work timings to meet the needs of your family and personal life. You also get more of the much-needed ‘me’ time, and would probably have more of a social life since the commuting time is saved, and you don’t have rigid working hours. The major advantage of work-from-home jobs is that you can go about doing what you want as soon as you’re done with your work for the day. On the contrary, office work hours require you to stick around even if you have no work to do, just to clock in the required number of hours.
Freedom Related to Office
Your office can be literally anywhere, and you can style it according to your wish. If you wish to work while you’re lying down on your couch in your sweatpants, you’re welcome to do so. If you wish for a more professional environment, you can convert a room in your home into your very own office. You can even work from a book café or a restaurant or in your kitchen while food is cooking if that’s what makes you comfortable.
No Office Politics
Working in an office exposes you to gossip and idle chit-chat in the break room. Proximity to people you don’t like or those who dislike you makes way for jealousy and unnecessary office politics. When you work from home, you don’t need to resort to gossiping about your co-workers because you can spend your free time with your family or doing something productive. This prevents office politics, which is just better for everyone involved.
Working from home is not all sunshine and rainbows. It requires quite a bit of self-motivation because not needing to go to an office daily can make you lazy. This may result in a failure to complete your tasks in time. However, converting a room in your home to an office helps, and so does keeping in mind that your home is your office. All in all, if you’re motivated and willing to work, working from home is much better than an office job.
