For some people working from home can be efficient, rewarding and pretty amazing. But, for others it can be a real pain.
As a result of social distancing measures, remote working was one of the first policies organisations introduced to help deal with the pandemic. Although some businesses were unintentionally more prepared than others, the sudden changes really put both the positives and negatives of working from home under the spotlight.
Here’re our thoughts on the pro’s and con’s of working from home:
Commuting
If you’re someone who usually has a long commute to work, then this can easily be the biggest benefit of working from home. Instead of sitting in traffic jams, kicking off the day with road-rage and spending money on petrol or public transport, you can be online and ‘at work’ in just the amount of time it takes you to walk downstairs, make a coffee and fire up your laptop. Not to mention the positive impact this has on the environment!
Less distractions
We’re all guilty of enjoying the occasional gossip and catch-up while we make a cup of tea or run to the printer. However, it can sometimes be a pain if you’re in the middle of something and get an impromptu desk drop-by from a co-worker who wants to talk about their holiday. Of course, when working from home, you may receive a phone call or Teams message – but if you’re too busy it’s easy to ignore it and have the catch up later! “Sorry I was on another call” always works!
You can, in fact, work in your pyjamas
Not having to put office attire on every morning is a key benefit for some. It’s nice not having to worry about what you’re going to wear to work, saves time and can be way more comfortable. However, we’d still suggest having a shower and getting dressed (And not actually wearing your PJ’s) as this helps you set yourself up for the day.
More distractions
Yes, although you may have less office distractions there are plenty of things to keep you distracted at home. From noisy neighbours, house-hold chores, Netflix and screaming kids it may actually be easier to deal with the distractions you’re met with at the office. Without having the threat of your manager walking down the hallway means, in some cases, it can take a lot of self-discipline to stay focused.
You never really leave the office
Many of us, who had not experienced working from home, found that at short notice we were left trying to work out where our new home office would be. Whether it’s the kitchen table, sofa, shed or study you’re never met with the feeling of accomplishment that you receive when you leave the office building. It’s also easy to lose sight of the home/office boundaries. It becomes all too simple to check your emails at 8pm, or finish off that report that could really wait until tomorrow. Feeling like you’re at work all the time can drive you crazy!
No face time or collaboration
Some of the best work is done through collaboration, and collaboration is best done in person. Sure, platforms like Teams, Skype and Slack are brilliant at helping us keep connected while we are working from home, but there’s nothing quite like all sitting around a table, drawing on a white-board and having a good old face to face discussion. Working from home can also be really lonely. Not being able to grab lunch with co-workers, have that catch-up in the hallway and feel fully in the know can be really missed.
What do you think? – Let us know what you think about working from home by sending us a message or reaching out on social media.
Solid8 can support businesses by providing a short-term temporary fix to fluctuations in staff or organisations who are struggling with the challenges of working from home. We can also provide a retained service for those companies with a longer term requirement. Please contact us for more information.
