Is working from home just a big doss really?

PlutoinCapricorn

Shouldn't this thread be in the Employment section?

I am a researcher and former computer programmer by the way.

Stevie_Palimo

nicegirl wrote: »

Can I be nosy and ask what jobs all you home workers do please?

I would LOVE to work from home.

Payday loans.

Lunar_Eclipse

I think it really depends on the individual, the work they do and the day itself.

DH works from home one day a week and is at his desk, focused on work related tasks from about 8-5pm.

The difference in being at home is he hasn't left the house by 6, he's home by 5/5.30 instead of 7.30pm, he does take an hour for lunch which he normally wouldn't & we spend it together, plus he will spin the washing whilst walking to the kettle/loo if I ask him to (but not anything 'more'.) And he can wear jeans.

It's a much quieter and relaxed environment at home, so he can either operate business as usual or spend time doing research/reading reports which would be interrupted if he was in the office. Yesterday he did a work related training course on the computer.

I can see there are more distractions at home, but on the whole I think productivity can be much higher and people generally stay true to how hard working their nature is. (I wasn't quite as 'good' as him when I worked from home, primarily because I'd achieve more by midday than the other 4 days in the office put together typically.)

onlyroz

If companies embraced home working they could save bucket loads of money. They wouldn't have to maintain huge office blocks for a start - all they'd need would be a few banks of hot desks. I quite like the idea of different teams rotating the home-working days, so we all do 3 days at home and 2 in the office, using the hot-desks for the office days and only ever booking meetings on those days.

duchy

It is a very nice feeling to not have to deduct £xxx a month for travel from nett pay. The slight increase in power bills is a small price to pay. (I tend to only heat my office rather than the whole house when it's just me at home)
Realistically if I worked outside the home we'd probably need to run two cars instead of one too.

We're also toying with moving out of the South East -my job will come with me

duchy

onlyroz wrote: »

If companies embraced home working they could save bucket loads of money. They wouldn't have to maintain huge office blocks for a start - all they'd need would be a few banks of hot desks. I quite like the idea of different teams rotating the home-working days, so we all do 3 days at home and 2 in the office, using the hot-desks for the office days and only ever booking meetings on those days.

Depends on the job - IT costs tend to be higher with more remote working - both in terms of equipment *and* support.

Gra76

If I could I'd work from home regularly. On the very rare opportunities I've had to work from home in the past I've found that I've got much more done in a much shorter space of time. The office distracts me constantly with the random phone calls and the office politics.

Gavin83

nicegirl wrote: »

Can I be nosy and ask what jobs all you home workers do please?

I would LOVE to work from home.

I work in IT. I'd imagine its the most common job to do from home as its so easy to setup, doesn't make a difference where Im physically located. Also when I do go in Im based in several offices anyway.

For me Ive had my laziest working days at home and also my hardest working days so I guess it balances out. Depends on what Im doing at that time. I do find I don't really take a lunch break while at home.

The fact you don't have to travel is obviously a massive advantage. Its also really useful for things like parcel deliveries, repair people, that sort of thing.

duchy

The biggest block to more homeworking is the companies themselves. They like to "see" their employees working. It's getting better -but still a way to go.

mustang121

My personal opinion is that work and social life's should be strictly separated. In the Office world, nothing is that important that it must be resolved at midnight instead of the next working day.


Lunch time and home time is my time to spend with friends and family. At lunch time, depending on weather, I either go for a walk or turn off all applications and browse the internet. Weekends and holiday is my time and I never log in. If you need to login remotely during a holiday then you are you rubbish at your job, either as manager for not training staff to be efficient at working without you or as a employee for not being organised enough.


Don't get me wrong. I will work early or late if required, and will always produce professional and accurate work. I just find it easier to achieve this by not working all of the time.


If I started to work from home I would feel like they had me by the blackberries. Also remote access is rubbish and annoying. I far prefer being at work where all records are kept and being able to visit desks, ring internal or use the company phone for work related international calls.