What are the Pros and Cons of Working from Home?

Working from home is the chance of a lifetime. Or is it? You get to work in a more comfortable workplace while spending more time with your family. However, even though there are plenty of advantages to working from home, there are some disadvantages to take into consideration as well.

In this guide, we will take you through the most common pros and cons of working from home to help you decide if it’s a right career choice for you.

Also read: 4 Reasons to Allow Your Employees to Work from Home

Pros of Working From Home

As a small business owner or office worker, working from home may be the best option for you. Here are some of the advantages of working remotely:

  1. You’ll have more flexibility in your schedule. Working from home allows you to craft a more flexible work schedule that fits better to your family’s schedule. Now you’ll never have to worry about missing your kid’s dance competitions or track meets.
  2. You won’t have to worry about a commute. Not commuting every day not only saves you hundreds of dollars a year but also greatly reduces your stress for the workday ahead.
  3. Your workday is less stressful than it would be if you were in an office. When you work from home, you have more opportunity to take a walk or multiple breaks if you get too stressed out. Not to mention, you’ll be working from a much more comfortable work environment, which could eliminate stress altogether.
  4. You can reduce distractions from working remotely. Even though there may be plenty of distractions at home, you have the ability to control them, compared to dealing with a distracted coworker.
  5. You can end up saving money working from home. By skipping your commute and temptations of ordering food at work, you can save thousands of dollars a year from working at home.
  6. Many people notice that working from home helps balance their work and personal life. Since you can deal with both from your workspace at home, managing your kids and work can be done in a snap, whereas in an office, you can only focus on work.
  7. You have the opportunity to work in a co-working space. These spaces allow remote workers to connect with and work in the same space as other remote workers. Coworking spaces have become popular recently because of the increase in the number of remote workers. These spaces allow you to enjoy all the benefits of working remotely and being self-employed. However, you can also combat the isolation that some remote workers feel.

Also read: Q&A with Gustavo Franco: On Employee Engagement And Managing A Coworking Space

Cons of Working From Home

After all of that, working from home sounds pretty great. However, don’t quit your desk job just yet. First, you should think about the negatives associated with working remotely:

  1. You may get lonely. When you are working alone without any coworkers around, you may begin to feel isolated.
  2. You must be very self-motivated and disciplined. It takes a lot of drive to be able to wake up and get to work every day in your own home.
  3. Your living space will shrink. Since you need to make room in your home for an office, you will be losing some of your living space.
  4. It is more difficult to get out of work mode. Since there is less of a distinction between your work life and your personal life, it can be harder to separate yourself from your business and shut it off at the end of the day. You may also be more likely to overwork yourself.

Also read: 4 Reasons to Allow Your Employees to Work from Home

Now that you know that upsides and downsides of working from home, it is up to you to decide whether it is right for you and your career. When making your decision, there are a few things you need to consider besides these pros and cons. You must also think about your personality type, your home environment, the type of work you do, and whether you will have the necessary tools to complete that job in your home. By taking all of these factors into account, you can be sure to make the right decision for you and your career.

Download the eBook and find out what makes people happy to go to work every day and give their best, with real answers from employees across the world.

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About the author

Wassana is a medical technology graduate and a freelance writer. She has been writing since her college days, and has been a freelance writer for the past 4 years. You can follow her on Twitter here.