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One of the things I love about what we do is that it's possible to do it as effectively from the comfort of your living room as from an office. Working from home makes it possible for me to have fresh goat milk on my cereal, fresh eggs in my quiche, and work side by side with my husband, who also works from home.
On a typical day, I roll out of bed, feed the goats and milk the milk goat, feed and let out the chickens, walk the dogs, grab a quick bite to eat, and am settled in front of the computer by nine. At noon, I check to make sure everyone has water and let out my laying hens, then sit down to a fast lunch before going back to work. In the evening, I finish up whatever I'm working on, pick up eggs and feed and milk again. This wouldn't be possible if I had to work 8-5 at an office somewhere.
But it has its downside in that I can't spend very much time talking to my peers about current projects and I don't ever get to wear heels and nice jewelry to work. I have to be responsible for my computers and software. This can be kind of a pain when, for instance, I'm ready to go to Windows 7 but my employer's VPN software isn't compatible with 64 bit Windows.
On balance, I'm happy to work from home. But some days, I miss the routine of getting dressed up and going to a place where people have gathered to work on projects together. What about you? Do you telecommute? Are you happy with your telecommuting situation?
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My employer is a stickler about actually having people THERE, at the office.
In fact, they actually charge the department something (like $50) to set up a VPN so someone CAN work at home. On top of that, unless you are in IT (I am in a media department), it is VERY DIFFICULT to get a laptop to work with.
I, for one, see the great benefits to an employer that allows their employees to work from home. For one, in cost. Even if the employer covers the employees home internet connection, they save thousands of dollars every year by not having to maintain office space for that person. On top of that, the studies show that employees that work from home are more efficient because they don't have the same distractions that they would have at the office. Also, they are happier, so they work better. Not to mention all of the benefits to the worker. Decreased cost-of-living due to not having that commute. Sometimes extra hours of daytime that they can use for themselves OR work. The flexibility to log in and work on their schedule. It is a win-win situation for all involved when a company allows the telecommute.
Now if only I could convince my employer of that........
I've been a salaried work-from-homer for well over a year now and I don't think I could EVER go back to working in an office. Right now I'm working from my parent's home 3000 miles away from my own home so that my family can experience my daughter's first birthday and she can have some quality time with family we rarely see. For eight weeks! I couldn't do that if I had to go into an office every day.
The level of concentration I'm able to give my job is amazingly more then when I have coworkers continually interrupting me. Not that I don't miss those interruptions at times. Afternoon coffee breaks where I can shoot the breeze are now a thing of the past. But on the other side of the coin I can really bust my butt early in the morning, take a late lunch (with a fellow work-from-homer) and call it a day with my feet up.
I have the freedom to find a new place to live (Phoenix just isn't doing it for me any more. I want a small farm too Amy!) If I were shackled to an office then I wouldn't have the option to move to Colorado, or Kentucky, or Maine if I so desired.
So much more of what is done now days can be done remotely. I think people are often scared that their employees aren't working when they work from home. And I suspect that they are probably "actively working" less. I know I do. But I get more done in less time. Isn't that what everybody wants?
Hi,
I love to work from home, but unless you're a freelancer it's nearly unthinkable here in France. It's one of the main motivations of being a freelancer. This means that I work from a real office sometimes, but not always. I miss the face to face interaction, but I surely don't miss the commute or the boss.
Ariel