By now, we have all heard the term “working remotely” which essentially is a work style that allows individuals to work from the comfort of their homes instead of in the office. COVID-19 has forced many companies to allow employees to work remotely just so they could stay open.
Working from home has both pros and cons to it, just like working in the office. Before you decide if it’s a fit for you or not, check out our list of advantages and disadvantages of working from home.
Advantages of Working From Home
Better Work-Life Balance
Remote jobs allow for a more flexible schedule and may even allow employees to choose their own start and end times for the day as long as their work gets completed. Some companies even allow employees to take breaks to run an errand or pick the kids up from school and then come back to work.
Less Time Commuting
The average U.S. commute is 26 minutes one way – that’s almost an hour of your day spent in the car give or take traffic. With working from home, you no longer have to worry about a commute and get some time in your day back; that time could even be spent getting some extra sleep.
Save Money
Think about it – how much money do you spend each week on gas to get to work or eating out for lunch? That money adds up quickly over time and can take a huge chunk out of what you save every year. By working from home, you won’t be using as much gas, which is also good for the environment and can eat food that you already have at home instead of going out.
A Better Office
Let’s face it, some offices are dull and boring. There’s not much you get to do to your work office to make it feel more at home. When you work from home, your office is yours; you can do whatever you want with it.
Location Independence
Working from home opens up so many possibilities for jobs when you’re not restricted to the area where you live. Not having a set job location also allows you to travel more. Instead of spending the week stuck in the office working you could be sitting in an Airbnb on the beach, as long as you have stable internet access.
This also allows people who work jobs that are based more in big cities to no longer have to live in the big city. They can live in more rural areas, which can be more affordable.
Disadvantages of Working From Home
Time Management
Remote workers have to be good at managing their time and staying on track. At home, it’s easy to get distracted by the dog doing something it’s not supposed to or trying to multitask by doing some housework. When working from home, you have to be able to put your work first and complete your tasks or your employers may not be happy with your performance.
Little Human Interaction
This could sound like an advantage for the more antisocial people out there. When you work from home, you’re not talking with your coworkers as much, there’s no break room conversations or going out to lunch with coworkers. That could sound like a good thing, but we need daily human interaction to help keep us sane.
Waiting for an Answer
You’re in the middle of working on a project but need a question answered or more information. Now instead of getting up and walking over to someone’s office, you have to send an email or try to call them and hope for an answer. If they don’t answer, then your work is put on hold waiting on them.
Internet Connection
When you’re in the office, you’re almost guaranteed a good internet connection, and if something is wrong with it, you’re not the only one dealing with it. If your internet at home goes down or is too slow, that reflects poorly on you, and you’re the one responsible for figuring out a way to get it fixed or find somewhere else to work for the time being.
Does working from home sound like a fit for you, or are you still not sure? Here is some personal work from home stories from our team here at Burkhart Marketing that could help you decide.
