Advantages and disadvantages of working from home

In this article, I will describe the main advantages and disadvantages of working from home. This applies not only to freelancers, but also to anyone who is lucky enough to work outside the office. I worked in an office for about 10 years and dreamed of working from home. And a couple of years ago my dream came true. However, it was too early to rejoice, as difficulties arose that I did not suspect.

Positive

1. No need to travel to work. This is the very first and most obvious plus of working from home. If you add up all the time on the road, so to speak from door to door, and not just a trip in transport, then the road can take up a very significant part of your day. Even in relatively small cities, this time can be 1.5 - 2 hours a day. And what can we say about large cities, where there are traffic jams not only on the road, but even in the subway. If you add up this time for a year, you get almost 20 days. This is a whole small vacation that can be spent on recreation, sports, family, reading or work. Do not forget about other advantages of not having to go to the office:

• Saving money . Travel tickets or subscriptions in public transport are now not cheap. If you drive to work, then in addition to the cost of gasoline, you need to consider insurance and the cost of repairing and maintaining the car.
• Health preservation . Public transport significantly increases the likelihood of getting sick. After I started working from home, I got sick much less often. I think the reason for this is that sick people can also travel with you in public transport. And indoors, as you know, the disease spreads much faster.
• Saving strength and nerves . You simply do not notice how much strength and nerves the road takes until you start working at home. When you stop going to work, in a couple of weeks you will notice how your working capacity has increased by itself, fatigue does not even think of coming, and short temper and irritability have disappeared somewhere. And do not forget about the wise words of doctors: "all diseases are from nerves!"

2. No dress code . At home, unlike the office, you can walk in the clothes that you like, in which you are comfortable. And the proximity of your wardrobe makes the process of changing clothes quick and pleasant. However, this does not mean that you need to stop caring for yourself. A regular shower, taking care of one’s appearance and cleanliness of home clothes is a necessary minimum for any person. The absence of a dress code gives you a number of other advantages:

• Saving time . This is especially true for girls who, before starting the working day, need to think about their makeup, hairstyle, new clothes. But a man should also be shaved in clean and tidy clothes.
• Saving money . Office clothes are several times more expensive than home clothes. And, working at home, cosmetics can be enough for a long time.
• Health preservation . A tie around your neck, a belt on your stomach and rubbing shoes, according to doctors, do not affect your health in the best way.

3. The kitchen is nearby . As the wise men say - "We are what we eat." Delicious and healthy homemade food is a luxury that an office resident is deprived of. Sandwiches, tea and biscuits, and lunch at a local restaurant are standard for most workers. And remember, homemade food protects not only your health, but also your family budget.

4. Free schedule . As a rule, those who work from home are paid for the result, so they can experience all the delights of a free work schedule:

• Solving the problem of owls and larks . Sleep as much as you want. Wake up in the morning refreshed and full of energy. Sleep at lunch is the best cure for many diseases.
• You don’t need to ask . For many employers, the process of providing time off is associated with an impartial conversation with the employee. However, people who work from home often lack this exciting moment.
• You can do other things . For example: sign up for a gym, go for a walk with your child, go to the store, etc.

5. There are no "favorite" colleagues . Quarrels, gossip, envy, anger, condemnation, laziness and idle talk flourish in many work collectives. No wonder many of them are sinful things. They take away our strength, our time and corrode us from the inside.

6. Work for the capital, work for abroad . The absence of the need to travel every day to work will allow you to significantly expand the choice of employers. You can work for metropolitan companies. And if you know a foreign language, you can successfully compete for a vacancy in an international corporation.

7. Way out of a hopeless situation . Homework can be an outlet for many categories of citizens. For example, for mothers on maternity leave, people with disabilities, etc.

Negative

1. Reduced performance . Unfortunately, low self-discipline can have a negative impact on productivity. There are a lot of distractions at home, I want to: sleep, eat, watch TV, etc. etc. To force yourself to work, you have to take will into a fist and force yourself to work. And do not forget that if there are small children at home, then work becomes doubly difficult.

2. Lack of communication . Working at home, you stop communicating with both "bad" colleagues and "good" ones. Corporate, instant messengers, letters do not replace daily communication. The lack of daily various contacts is not just "no one to chat with." The problem is much broader:

• Not up to date with the latest news . Both industry news and your company news. Over time, the question of your competence may become.
• Lack of positive emotions . Communication with good people, especially of the opposite sex, can energize you and give you strength for the whole working day. Lack of such communication can gradually lead to depression.
• There is no incentive . Negative emotions during communication for many can be an incentive: to find a new job, move to another department, strive for promotion.
• No family . Who knows, maybe the new employee will become your husband. And the new boss is your wife. Marriages among colleagues are quite common. But sitting at home you will not know about it.

3. Workplace equipment . The employer provides everything necessary for office workers: desk, chair, Internet, computer, software, stationery. All this will have to be bought by yourself.

4. Bad appearance . The absence of a dress code relaxes many people so much that they forget about the elementary need to take care of their appearance. The blame for everything is the same laziness.

Conclusion : despite the obvious advantages of working outside the office, such work is suitable only for strong and disciplined individuals.

Keep in mind that homework can be of three types:

• official with the payment of the white salary, taxes and contributions to the pension fund;
• unofficial without an employment contract and a legal salary;
• your business .

Each of these options has its own advantages and disadvantages. But this is a topic for a separate article!

Advantages and disadvantages of working from home for the employer

The transfer of some vacancies from office to home employment will allow your company to have a number of advantages over competitors:

1. A small office is enough . Your company does not need to rent an expensive office space. Even with the increase of the company and the expansion of staff, you can save.

2. No need to equip workplaces . The purchase of furniture, computer and office equipment, stationery can become a serious cost item for your business. You can use the released funds to expand and develop your business.

3. Work as a bonus . Instead of paying bonuses, you can give your employees the opportunity to work from home a few days a week. This not only stimulates them, but also saves your payroll.

4. Large selection of workers . You can hire not only employees from your region, but even people from remote corners of our vast country. This in turn leads to savings in labor costs.

However, letting your employees work at home, you will face a number of problems:

1. Laziness . Home environment relaxes almost any person. Therefore, monitoring the results of work is a prerequisite for home work.

2. Incompetence . Staff development is an objective necessity for the survival of any business in modern conditions.

3. We need people in the office . A large office filled with working people inspires respect for any client and increases confidence in such a company. And not only the client, subordinates, applicants and even your friends will feel the scale of your business.

Article author:

Yaroslav I. - founder and editor-in-chief of the site Wise Geek, author of the very first articles. They laid down the basic principles for the development of the project. Has a huge gaming experience. They have completed more than 200 games on a personal computer, Sony PlayStation, Android and other gadgets. Currently, Yaroslav leads the development of the project and selects topics for new articles. More information about Yaroslav is available at this link.