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Working At/From Home Thread

Kong76 Jul 20 2013 08:39 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jul 20 2013 09:54 AM

I know some of you do this or at least do it from time to time. What are your pro's and cons to not punching a time clock? For starters, it is not something for the easily distracted is something I've learned rather quickly.

themetfairy Jul 20 2013 09:43 AM Re: Working At/From Home Thread

Cons - You have to be self-motivated. You don't have the social aspect of being in an office. Pros - Ultimate flexibility. So long as the work gets done, you can do it on your own schedule. No need to commute. No wardrobe concerns. None of the costs of eating out or packing bag lunches If you're a parent, you can be on call for your kids at all times.

Kong76 Jul 20 2013 09:57 AM Re: Working At/From Home Thread

Pro: I won't lie ... watching get-away gay dames on Wed and Thurs afternoons on the baseball package is pretty cool.

TransMonk Jul 20 2013 09:57 AM Re: Working At/From Home Thread

I've been working for a company where everyone works from home since January. I agree with TMF on her pros and cons (especially the social aspect). My tips would be: 1. Get up, shower and get dressed. Just because I could work in my pajamas doesn't mean that I should. 2. Watch out for distractions. There probably aren't more distractions when you work at home, but they are different (and sometimes more engrossing) distractions. 3. Take little breaks where you get outside if you can. Walk around the block a couple of times during the day. Run an errand over lunch. When I started working from home, there were days where I would look back at bedtime and realize that I hadn't left the house at all that day. I didn't like that feeling. 4. Set work hours. May job (mostly) grants me the flexibility to work at my leisure as long as I meet deadlines. I find it best to set what hours I will be working, then I let others know those hours (so they are aware of when they can contact me) and then I stick to them. This helps me with the procrastination that could set in because I have the ability to work on things at 3am. Again, just because I can doesn't mean that I should. 5. Create a work space. This may not always be possible, but I had to create a space that isn't shared by family members for their personal use or my own. This helps me stay organized. 6. Stay away from your work space during your non-work hours. I never forget that my home is still my home...I just happen to work there. 7. Make sure you and your supervisor both understand what tasks you are to be doing and what is expected of you. You will start to be judged more on how many widgets you produce and less on how much you sweat while you produce them. When I worked in an office, I had gotten really good at looking busy every time the boss walked by. Not that I didn't produce at the office...but looks don't count for nearly as much these days. You could find that it will take some time to get into a routine that works, but ultimately I love working from home. The flexibility it grants outweighs any downside I have seen so far.

TransMonk Jul 20 2013 09:58 AM Re: Working At/From Home Thread

Kong76 wrote: Pro: I won't lie ... watching get-away gay dames on Wed and Thurs afternoons on the baseball package is pretty cool. This is definitely one of my favorite perks.

Kong76 Jul 20 2013 10:08 AM Re: Working At/From Home Thread

Good points, both of you. I particularly have embraced Trans' #1 point. I get up Mon-Fri around 5:30 and try to treat the week- days like a normal day.

cooby Jul 20 2013 11:26 AM Re: Working At/From Home Thread

I don't think I could do it. Though it'd be nice to be able to get the wash done.

Kong76 Jul 20 2013 11:30 AM Re: Working At/From Home Thread

It is nice for keeping on top of that too. And KB has no com- plaints coming home to my wash and fold service!

Fman99 Jul 20 2013 04:52 PM Re: Working At/From Home Thread

Approximately 1/3 of my company consists of full time telecommuters in remote home offices across the country. So it's an accepted fact for my employer. The folks that are local to the Syracuse area are expected to come in every day -- the rule being, if you have a desk in Syracuse, you're expected to occupy it. The flip side is that the company would always rather you work from home than take time off due to illness or appointments. I tend to work from home a few days a month, or more if I'm dealing with an illness. I do occasionally work from home for a half day, also, and then come in or go home on my lunch break. Pros: Peace and quiet Being able to run around the neighborhood on my lunch break and have time to shower before I settle back in Not having to use my time off for service calls - this one is huge Being less accessible allows me to get more done Ability to help more with the kids' needs, activities, etc. Mets matinees on the big TV while I work Being able to work from home when forced to care for a sick kid -- though I tend to bill less than 8 hours if they require extra care Cons: Missing the social aspect of my job -- I happen to sit around other employees who are entertaining and helpful Having less access to resources when I need help with something -- it's easier to walk to someone's desk than it tracking them down on phone/IM/etc Distractions I wouldn't want to telecommute full time, I am too social a creature for that. But being able to do it when I need or want to is a real perk that I would have a hard time giving up.

bmfc1 Jul 21 2013 11:55 AM Re: Working At/From Home Thread

I love teleworking even though I miss seeing my colleagues on those days, but: I get an extra 90 minutes of sleep; I'm home an hour earlier; I'm not as tired; and, I'm not distracted by walk-ins including the annoying guy in the building who thinks I want to hear about the Nationals just because I love baseball. Like TransMonk, I try to get out of the house at lunchtime and when I get a call, I use it as an excuse to go outside (weather permitting, of course).

Ceetar Jul 21 2013 08:49 PM Re: Working At/From Home Thread

One of my minor goals in finding a new job is finding one with the flexibility to work from home on occasion. I definitely feel like I'd get more done. In fact, I'm sure I would because when I'm in an office it always feels like my job is to stay busy for 8-9 hours and then go home, but if I'm already home I can get what I need done and be MORE productive than in the office AND still have time to apply to other things. Of course, my current job treats me like a cog in a machine and doesn't even tell me which way it expects me to turn, so..