With over 3.9 million Americans now working from home, for many people, the idea is incredibly appealing.
You may have visions of waking up at whatever time you want while doing work in their pajamas, sitting on the couch.
While it has its perks, working from home isn’t all roses. There are a few things to keep in mind before you accept a remote position.
You never really leave work
If you are the kind of person who isn’t good at shutting off your work and putting it aside at the end of each workday, at-home work may prove slightly stressful.
Most remote work is done via computer and internet connection, which means, as long as you have these two things, you can always be at work.
It is a convenient set-up when you are a parent and need to work on a varying schedule around your children, but not so convenient when you spend your evenings glued to your computer because you just need to finish that “one last thing.”
There are no sick days
You may always be expected to be at work.
Working from home doesn’t really allow you to have sick days, end up getting in late to the office or have the excuse of public traffic that tied you up on your commute.
There are still deadlines
Working from home may mean you aren’t going into the office, but chances are you are still having to check in with your superiors.
You will likely still have regular communication from your boss or team manager.
Often this interaction will be when you get your daily assignments, for example, or when you have a team meeting to discuss the day’s tasks.
It may seem like less pressure because you can do it in your own time whenever you feel like it, but when the distractions around the home and your Facebook feed get in the way, you may find the deadlines creep up faster than if you were sitting in the office.
You might get lonely
For many people, working from home loses its appeal after a while when they realize that most of the time they are working by themselves: you start the day on their own, do your work on your own, and end the day by yourself.
In the middle, there are no co-workers to break up the monotony and say hi to, and there is nobody to bounce ideas off of or use for inspiration.
For some people this setup is ideal, and they are happy to be independent and not have any interruptions from others.
The arrangement isn’t for everyone though.
Missing out on the interaction and engagement of team members may make at home work unenjoyable for you if you’re more extroverted or you like the social aspect of working with your team in-person.
Working from home has its perks, and in the last five years, the number of US employers offering the option has grown by 40%. It’s important to assess your own working style before taking the plunge into a remote job. Many employers will allow their employees to work one or two days per week at home, and this can be a great way to test it out to see if remote work is for you.
