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Working from home.

Although I've been retired for seven years, a job came along recently that I couldn't say no to. It is something that I can do from home, plus I don't have any deadlines so this is Nirvana for me. However, for most of the time I work alone and sometimes I miss the getting to work, having a coffee, catching up with workmates news gossip etc. Do you work from home and do the advantages outweigh the social isolation.
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Comments

  • I work from home at every opportunity. For a long time, I worked a heck of a lot when I did it. The only interruption is yourself - you don't CHOOSE to turn the TV on etc any more than you choose for someone to put in a meeting or walk up to your desk. I'd end up working until 7-8pm too. There's a good video about it here (love the bit about meetings being of lengths that Microsoft Office can understand):

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XD2kNopsUs

  • Forgot to add that I work the hours I like...through the night is good when you need to be creative, but sorting the dross the next day can be tiresome.

    What do you do Jimmy?
  • Great link Jimmy ... I must admit I am far more productive having worked from home for some time now.
  • I don't like working from home, only do it when there is no alternative. That said I hate the journey I make to the yard everyday too. Jimmy is bamg on about the only distraction being yourself but I find it a bit like drinking indoors as opposed to going to a licensed premises. Most of the time you end up starting earlier and finishing later

  • Carter said:

    I find it a bit like drinking indoors as opposed to going to a licensed premises. Most of the time you end up starting earlier and finishing later

    This...plus I've come to realize that I push myself harder than any tyrannical boss could.



  • I like a mix between working at home and office work, I find the mundane jobs at home lead to seeking distractions. Sometimes rather than working from home, I'll go tot he local library and use their wi-fi.
  • Handy when having issues with dropping off/collecting kid from school but prefer to come into office (even taking commute into account)
  • edited November 2013
    I have CL up all the time, it really does keep my spirits up...yes I'm working now (correction, thinking about working)
  • Handy when having issues with dropping off/collecting kid from school but prefer to come into office (even taking commute into account)

    this - don't work at home half as much as I used to, but still handy to be able to whenever needed to (it also means I never seem to use all my holiday up anymore)

  • I always feel there is an undercurrent of mistrust from management too.

    I know I would think I was sitting indoors wanking all day. It might not be the case but I I could appreciate how someone who probably thinks I'm a wanker anyway would think I would be doing nothing other than throwing myself all round the house unless I was tied to being at work where I need to be a bit more surreptitious about that behaviour
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  • I've decided to take the day off as I've sat here for two hours and done sod all!
  • Knocking one out whilst working...that's definitely an advantage Carter.
  • I prefer to work from home when there is a specific task that I need to concentrate on. As said above I find sitting alone a bit of a turn off and need the buzz of engaging with real people.

    I've seen people lose their work/life boundaries from home working. My neighbour worked from home for BT. It drove his wife nuts and I think him (literally) too. He took early retirement a couple of years ago. He used to start work at 8.30 when his wife left for work. He'd finish for a bit when she got home at 5.30. They'd go out in the evening and he'd then log on at 11 to pick up emails from India. In the end his wife said he became obsessed about work and started to suffer from stress. I noticed his behaviour became very odd and even since retirement he's not the same bloke.

    I try to switch off from work when I'm at home (and vice versa), although it can be difficult as I work part-time for myself and have to do a lot of my own work at weekends and evenings.
  • I can work from home if I need to but, as most of my clients are based in the City, I tend to be in the office most days. It's really handy though if I have legal papers to go through or documents to review and can do without the distractions of all and sundry walking up to my desk at work to ask a "quick question"! I do find myself starting earlier and finishing later though.

    That said, I can also have a really lazy day once in a while and get by just reviewing emails on the blackberry and taking calls as they come in. As work get long days out of me (I have a number of US clients, so tend to work later into the evening) and the occasional weekends, I have no guilt complex at all ;)
  • edited November 2013
    Wouldn't want to get back into the rat-race/commute upto London, love working from home and for our own company.
  • I am lucky enough to only live 20 mins away from my office in Kent so the commute is not a hardship, country lanes all the way. However I do like to work from home one day a week simply to have a change of scenery and let the staff have a break from me :-)
  • Forgot to add that I work the hours I like...through the night is good when you need to be creative, but sorting the dross the next day can be tiresome.

    What do you do Jimmy?

    I work on a website, so the majority of what I do that's public facing is written on the commute or on the sofa anyway. There's literally no need for my team to come into the office for the day-to-day stuff, we can access the site from anywhere with wi-fi. Practically, that wouldn't make sense with the need to keep up to date with the goings on at the company and nearby departments, but technically it's possible, therefore I do not object to my guys taking a WFH day. If I so choose, I can see all the work they've done anyway!! I can conference call into most meetings.

    The above point regarding general mistrust from management is so true. I'm lucky that my boss is up for it but there are plenty of managers that assume it's a negative. The 'presentee-ism' thing bugs me. Having people at desks does not equate to work being done to a high standard.
  • I am lucky enough to only live 20 mins away from my office in Kent so the commute is not a hardship, country lanes all the way. However I do like to work from home one day a week simply to have a change of scenery and let the staff have a break from me :-)

    The dream!! 20 minutes?! I'd have to live in a shi*hole to have that commute.
  • I'm working from today as had a school viewing at 11 (very helpful timing). It saved me having to take a days leave for a half hour appointment.

    Have been working from home once a week for the last few months to help out more with childcare / cover appointments while one twin is one place and the other isn't. Been a godsend tbh as not sure what we would do a lot of time.

    If you have an empty house and you are motivated, it can be brilliant. If you've kids then you are simply not going to be as productive as if you are in an office (particularly using a laptop) compared to PC, but I do my best to make it work as I simply can't afford to lose it.
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  • Shirking from home ?
  • JiMMy 85 said:

    I am lucky enough to only live 20 mins away from my office in Kent so the commute is not a hardship, country lanes all the way. However I do like to work from home one day a week simply to have a change of scenery and let the staff have a break from me :-)

    The dream!! 20 minutes?! I'd have to live in a shi*hole to have that commute.
    Ha, ha I know what you mean. I did spend 19 years commuting from Bexleyheath where I lived to Maidstone but decided enough was enough so 4 years ago moved closer to the office.
  • Hope you adhere to the dress code !
  • edited November 2013
    Recommended .. as is driving to the beach or out to the country in the summer and working there .. laptop and good wifi is essential for this of course
  • I'm WFH today - have got shed loads done.

    My boss hates it, but he's a control freak who clearly doesn't trust anyone and I'm going to end up laying him out one day soon (hopefully just metaphorically speaking - but you never know)
  • I think its getting the right balance. I work from home quite a lot and find this useful if I want the peace and quiet to concentrate. Its also useful to nip out to get your hair cut. But I also enjoy going into the office, meeting up with colleagues which makes communication a tad easier and the general chit chat you have in the office. Although I enjoy the freedom not to travel in London at peak rush hour, it does feels when you go to the office as though you've done something/seen something instead of being in doors all day.
  • I get the "well it's not like proper work" 16 hours yesterday was real work.
  • I am self employed and I work from home. Whilst I miss the office crack, I don't miss all the crap.

    I set my own targets, pursue my own goals, I see my 10 year old daughter all the time - picking her up from school.

    I look at what I do as helping people save money and pursue their dreams. In work terms I have never been happier.
  • Off_it said:

    I'm WFH today - have got shed loads done.

    My boss hates it, but he's a control freak

    I had a previous boss like that. Would log on in the morning and there would always be this important issue he needed a reply on by as soon as you've seen this, 8.45am, 9.30am etc

    Never seemed to have these important issues when I was in the office.

    Also remember during the bad snow about 3-4 years ago and there were no trains for about 4 days getting a sarky email from him on Day 2 enquiring whether 'Kent was going to be open tomorrow'
  • I life from work.
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