There are times where some people will be prevented from working in a particular company because they could not leave the house. For example, a mom of two or more kids will really find it hard to manage the time of working while taking care of the needs of her children. This is the very reason why home sourcing or work-from-home schemes are becoming really popular. In fact, it was found out that in America alone, there is a continuously growing number of Americans, some 20 million right now, who do at least some of their work at home.
We’re not just talking about telecommuters who work for companies that give them the flexibility to work from home (Brooks, 2005). We’re also talking about a new, un-tethered workforce, made of contract workers, consultants, and freelancers. Thanks to cell phones and broadband, they have flexible schedules and their homes are also their offices.
But there are a number of advantages and disadvantages when one prefers to work from home. As for the pros or the advantages, the list includes (Bostick, 2004):
- Travel to and from work is eliminated. This produces a domino effect because, with the need to commute to and from work, the person himself can save money for gas, car maintenance, and other utilities. It can also save him time and energy as he does not need to wake earlier to prepare himself (take a bath, change clothes, etc.)
- No need to worry about dress codes. Most people who are now working from home have admitted that they normally work wearing their pajamas and they do not worry about what their boss or co-workers might think about their looks (as there is no one that can see him/her while working).
- Flexible time and work pace. People who work from home are normally given deadlines and it doesn’t matter when or how they do it, what is important is that they will be able to provide the needed output in the set schedule.
- Better health. People who work from home need not worry about pollution and other work hazards and stress. In fact, most of them revealed that they become healthier when they started their home sourcing jobs. They have more control of their time and of themselves. They have lesser worries.
Indeed, it can be summarized that those who can work this way and can afford to work this way often lead pretty comfortable lives. But there are still some negative sides to working from home. For many others, health insurance is expensive, retirement benefits non-existent, which can make life precarious (Brooks, 2005). Other disadvantages include:
- Lack of social interaction. When one works from home, he just normally work in front of his computer or through the phone. He will not have the chance to talk eye-to-eye with his colleagues. Working from home is almost synonymous with becoming isolated in one’s house.
- Presence of temptations and distractions. The house or home provides comfort. There are TVs, beds, radios, kids, and other family members which can be a form of distraction to work. One could not really focus when the TVs volume is too high. If the kids are asking for attention, it is just expected that the mom or the dad will be looking after them instead of finishing the work assigned.
- Irregular paycheck. Working from home does not count the number of hours one has worked. The pay is normally dependent on the output given. Hence, there are days when a paycheck can be good and there are days when it can be utterly disappointing.
There are pros and cons to every decision made. If one decides to work from home instead of the normal office job, then one has to face the disadvantages and disadvantages it may bring. But the beauty of this work from home is that it provides an additional option to aspiring workers. Now they can choose to work inside the comforts of their house or inside an office building that hired them.
References
Bostick, Fran. March 2004. “Several pros and cons to working from home”. Birmingham Business Journal.
Brooks, Anthony. 2005 “More Americans Choosing to Work from Home”. National Public Radio, Inc.