The Pros and Cons of Working From Home

John and I are both lucky that we have the opportunity to work from home some of time. It has proved to be quite convenient at times however like most things it has it's pro's and con's. Most of our friends are now taking advantage of home working as and when they can, so it seems to be a choice some employers are giving to their staff.

A few weeks ago it was National Work From Home Day and I read an online survey by Seareach that confirmed less than half of the 2,000 employees surveyed were allowed to work from home. Security issues was the reason for 36% of those and I can understand why. Data protection is so important at the moment and depending on your job you may be dealing with lots of customer sensitive information.

Like I said earlier working from home does have it's pro's and con's. If you are thinking about working from home then I would definitely consider the following . . .

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PROs

No travel so therefore no rush hour traffic.

No added costs such as parking, lunch or popping out for coffee.

Potential to do more work in the comfort of your own home.

Flexibility e.g. School runs, start and finish times.

Keeps employer costs down.

No set work space,  work from the garden if you choose.

CONs

No face to face interaction.

Can be lonely.

Can get easily distracted by housework that needs to be done.

Disturbances e.g. when kids off school.

Can be bad for diets, biscuit tin is always close.

Use of your own electricity.

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Stuart Jailler at Seareach, said: "Thirty years ago … it was predicted that many office-based staff would be working remotely now. With the advancements in technology this is possible, however it seems [that] many businesses just aren't wanting to let go of their staff and allow them to work outside of the office. Our study shows we still have a long way to go … which is a shame as the benefits can be huge."

I totally agree with this. Technology has advanced so much over the past 10 years that I think if it continues at the same rate by 2028 we probably won't even need to leave the house as most things will be done remotely.

When it comes to working from home a personal highlight for me is being able to work in my PJ's or lounge wear. We all have off days when we don't want to get up, get ready and go out to work. Having the choice to stay at home rather than making sure you look presentable and having to force out a smile is definitely a plus!!

Michelle

*This is a collaborative post*