Work At Home

Does anyone else here work at home?  If so what are your thoughts?  Do you prefer to work at home or the office?  What are the pros and cons either way?

At my current (and soon to be former) employer, everyone was sent home to work in 2016 with the exception of a small group that choose to remain at the office, including your truly. 

With the start of the pandemic two years ago, however, everyone was sent home to work.  My thoughts?  I understand the importance of working at home as a result of the pandemic and certain aspects of work at home I do like, but overall it is easy to feel isolated working at home, feeling 'cooped up' as if I have 'cabin fever'.  Two days each week I am allowed to work half a day at the office and enjoy the opportunity to engage with the outside world. 

Problem is that my current (and soon to be former) employer is emphasizing work at home to a fault.  Essentially, everyone who was sent home due to the pandemic is allowed to stay home permanently.  Perhaps I am the one in a million minority, but is there any crime to enjoy being able to engage with and work alongside your colleagues at the office? 

That said, perhaps I could do a better job in being flexible and adjusting to the 'new normal'.  Or perhaps not in that today I accepted a job offer from a company that does not do work from home.  Therein lies the problem in that after accepting the offer I had to contact my manager (who works at home on the other side of town) and give notice.  Here is how the conversation (via instant messaging) went:

Me: Do you have a minute?  Can I call you?

Her: I am in a meeting.

Me: ?!?! 

At this point I was left with no other option then to resign via an instant messaging post.

It seems kind of impersonal way to quit a job in that if at the office at the very least I could have had a one on one conversation in her office.

Each to their own I guess...

I was diagnosed a few years ago with ADHD.  I get too easily distracted to be able to successfully work from home.

I was diagnosed a few years ago with ADHD.  I get too easily distracted to be able to successfully work from home.

I know exactly how you feel- there are too many distractions at home.  Too often I find myself wondering into the kitchen looking for something to eat or waste too much time attempting to decide what CD to listen to next.

I work from home full-time and at this point I don't have a choice.

It started when the Covid restrictions in Washington State forced all but one employee to work from home (2020).  Prior to that I had the ability to work from home but still went to the office 4 days a week and only worked from home one day a week.  Now I live in a completely different state and couldn't work at the office even if I wanted to.

The advantages are pretty good, but I'm not sure they out-weight the disadvantages.

-My commute is non-existent.  I travel from my bedroom through the living room and kitchen into my office.
-If needed I can be flexible and get non-work stuff done during normal working hours and make up my time later.
-I save money in gas and wear and tear on my vehicle.
-If I forget to do something I have easy access to my office and can jump in at 7pm and take care of something.
-I can pretty much wear whatever I want. Most days it's gym shorts and t-shirts.

The disadvantages are not cool at all.

-I am stuck in this house a lot.  I can't get away from work unless I go outside (something I don't want to do 6+ months out of the year because it is stinkin' hot here).
-My family seems to think they can interrupt me at will, or make me do things during the week because I work from home and can just "set my own schedule" (which is bull).
-After doing this for 3 years I still become easily distracted and unmotivated and on some days my productivity is horrendously bad (which directly impacts my pay). 
-I work too many weekend days.  Often due to my poor productivity, but occasionally just because it's easy to do.
-I'm really starting to resent work, but I want to be incredibly grateful that I even have a job, and a house, and a wife.

I work from home and I love it.  I like having my own bathroom.  I like not having to deal with that annoying co-worker every day.  I'm much more relaxed since working from home.  I do miss the interaction at times but being an introvert allows me to get over it pretty quick.

Xid wrote:

I work from home and I love it.  I like having my own bathroom.  I like not having to deal with that annoying co-worker every day.  I'm much more relaxed since working from home.  I do miss the interaction at times but being an introvert allows me to get over it pretty quick.

Oh gosh yes, the private bathroom is an amazing benefit!

Dynamis wrote:

Here is how the conversation (via instant messaging) went:

Me: Do you have a minute?  Can I call you?

Her: I am in a meeting.

Me: ?!?! 

At this point I was left with no other option then to resign via an instant messaging post.

TBH I'm totally puzzled by your response. What is so odd about her being in a meeting? My colleagues and I are in virtual meetings all the time.

I don't understand at all why you couldn't wait until after her meeting to have a conversation with her. It may not have been face to face but big deal.

Yes, I work from home full time (aside from visiting customers, but haven't had to do that yet after 6 months) and love it. No need to be in an office for my kind of work though it would be nice to socialize once in a while. We do sometimes have a Friday afternoon virtual meeting just to chat. Some people I know do go into the office just so they can have that live interaction, but there are so few people there now that they hardly get it anyway. I'll guess it's not as bad in non-tech fields.

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TBH I'm totally puzzled by your response. What is so odd about her being in a meeting? My colleagues and I are in virtual meetings all the time.

I don't understand at all why you couldn't wait until after her meeting to have a conversation with her. It may not have been face to face but big deal.

Yes, I work from home full time (aside from visiting customers, but haven't had to do that yet after 6 months) and love it. No need to be in an office for my kind of work though it would be nice to socialize once in a while. We do sometimes have a Friday afternoon virtual meeting just to chat. Some people I know do go into the office just so they can have that live interaction, but there are so few people there now that they hardly get it anyway. I'll guess it's not as bad in non-tech fields.

Point I was trying to make is that work at home can be a bit impersonal at times but I also see yours.  That said, later that morning I scheduled a WebEx meeting with my manager (and her boss showed up as well).  It can be difficult enough resigning as it is, so the best you can do is be kind as possible.

I am single and so do not adopt well to a permanent work at home status (it is easy to feel cooped up or as if you have cabin fever).  Probably, a hybrid role such as 3 days at the office and two at home would work best.  Other single people at work feel the same way.

I don't blame you, if I was single I don't think I would do well working from home full time.  I go a little stir crazy here some days and my wife is usually home 3 or 4 full days a week.

I don’t work from home but my brother does. Since he lives in Minnesota, it works out well in the winter time when snow /a blizzard comes thru.

One other thing that it is good for is when you have to leave town for something. Back just before our dad passed away, hd came down to see dad and help out around here. During the days he had his computer hooked up in another room and he would work from home from here. We simply left him alone to work.