Telecommuting or working from home seems ideal: no stinky bus or car commute, more sleep, no rushing off to work, no coworkers to be friendly to first thing in the morning or when you're having a bad day, no boss looking over your shoulder, and no conflict over who's turn it is to clean the office kitchen or who stole your favorite coffee mug.
No talk around the water cooler about American Idol or Gray's Anatomy, no teasing or practical jokes on colleagues, no people to gripe with about the latest memo.
When you telecommute or work from home, you're isolated from not only the worst parts of work – you miss out on the best parts, too.
Disadvantages of working from home - and how to overcome them
To work from home successfully, you need to at least be aware of the disadvantages.
Isolation. When you work from home, you don't have colleagues or coworkers to share professional ideas and gossip. There's less support and camaraderie when you're telecommuting. When your computer crashes or you solve an ongoing business problem, there's nobody next door to turn to.
- Overcoming isolation: schedule regular business lunches, walks, or tennis games. Some people who work from home need more social contact than others; figure out how often you need to see coworkers, and build it into your routine. Schedule one or two days a week in-office.
Lack of supervision. Some people who telecommute are disciplined enough to work on their own without management spurring them on. Others need the structure of the boss or coworkers around, or they get tempted by the tv, chores around the house, or the sofa (nap time!).
- Overcoming lack of supervision: Set daily and weekly goals, and be accountable to a colleague or your boss for them. Be brutally honest about what you have and have not achieved – you'll quickly find yourself working productively. If you can't work from home successfully, consider going back to the office or keeping a meticulous journal of your minutes and hours worked – and insist you only get paid for those (no doubt a rare occurrence in the work from home world!).
Friends & family. When they know you're working from home, they're more likely to call or drop in. Kids may feel free to wander in and out of your work space, or have roaring fights when you're on the phone with clients.
- Overcoming friends & family. Screen your calls and don't answer personal ones during your work day. Be firm with your kids or partner: you are working and unless their hair is on fire, you're not to be interrupted. Meet your friends for lunch or walks only during your scheduled break times (if you make exceptions, make sure you're not permanently disrupted by changes in your routine).
Other disadvantages of working from home or telecommuting include fewer business networking opportunities, less space, and making time to buy your own office supplies. You may also dislike introducing work to your home life. Telecommuting doesn't work for everyone – but if you can overcome the disadvantages of working from home, it can be the best job in the world!
If you found Disadvantages of Working From Home interesting, try:
- If You Want to Go Back to Work
- Working From Home (Increasing Your Productivity)
- Decreasing Work Stress
