The Pros And Cons Of Working From Home

Are you contemplating working from home? Maybe you should consider the pros and cons of working from home, before you make the plunge…

Working from home can be a very appealing career move. The new digital world we live in has created an abundance of opportunities to do so.

Whether you are thinking of starting a business from home, or looking to work remotely from home, either way it can be exciting to think about and explore your options.

The big question that you should be asking first – is it right for you?

As for some people, the idea of working from home sounds good in theory, but in reality might not be such a smart move. Not everyone can be productive in a work from home environment.

Most Common Pros And Cons Of Working From Home

So, if you’re considering working from home, there are several things you should take a look at before making the transition.

In this article, we list the most common pros and cons of working from home so you can determine if this is the right career move for you.

Pros & Advantages

First, we will take a look at some of the main advantages of working from home. You may want to make a written list of both the pros and cons from this article, and discuss them with your family, a good friend, or work colleague.

Having some input from someone else you trust and respect, may aide you in deciding if working from home is going to be right for you.

• No commuting time or expenses
• Greater flexibility and control over your work schedule
• Can work from anywhere
• Reduction in work absences or lost wages
• Provides more work-life balance
• More tax breaks
• Increased productivity
• Increased opportunities & income

No commuting time or expenses

This can really add up to big savings, depending on how far you normally commute back and forth from work. Gas prices and inflation are at an all time high – everything is more expensive.

Not only will you save on your travel expenses, but you will also save your time. Even if it only takes you a total of 40 minutes to get back and forth from work everyday, that is 40 minutes you get back, to do the things you want in life.

And it adds up! With the average number of days people work in a year at 260. That’s 260 x 40 = a whopping 10,400 minutes/173 hours you get back!

Greater flexibility and control over your work schedule

If you’re like many people, you’re constantly juggling work and home life. You’d love to have more control over your work schedule, but traditional employment doesn’t offer that much flexibility.

Fortunately, working from home does, you have a lot more flexibility with most telecommuting jobs. Making it much easier to attend life events like Kids school programs, medical appointments and other important things that come up.

You have much more control over the simple things as well, like when you take a shower, when you eat lunch, or when you take breaks, and because you would no longer have any commute, you now have much more control over your work schedule.

Can work from anywhere

In most cases you can perform your job from anywhere, because all you need is a suitable device such as a laptop, and an internet connection.

In the business world we call this the ‘laptop lifestyle’.

Yes, you may be able to work even when your on vacation, as many remote jobs can offer this type of freedom.

Reduction in work absences or lost wages

Since working from home offers much increased flexibility, it can greatly reduce work absences and lost wages.

Whether you’re sick or need to schedule an important appointment, with the increased flexibility working from home offers, it can reduce how often you need to take additional days off.

Provides more work-life balance

Many professionals struggle with finding a balance between work and their personal lives.

Working from home can make this balance a little bit easier to achieve, because of all of the pros we have listed above. Being able to schedule your work around your personal life, is a huge advantage.

Working remotely can afford you more time for taking care of essential tasks that benefit your lifestyle.

More tax breaks

Remote workers, freelancers, and self-employed individuals are likely to be eligible for even more tax breaks. You might be eligible to write off any supplies you need, work devices, maybe even the home office deduction, or specialized equipment such as a printer/copier.

**Always discuss the possible tax breaks first with a qualified tax professional.

Increased productivity

Being productive means – staying focused and motivated. It’s getting things done more efficiently and producing a high quality result.

Studies repeatedly prove that remote employees get more done. They perform better, get work done faster, and take much less sick time.

The CoSo Cloud survey showed that working remotely benefits employers and employees, 77% of the respondents reported greater productivity and 52% are less likely to take time off.

IWG -the Internation WorkSpace Group survey showed that businesses confirm this: 85% say that flexible remote policies have improved their businesses overall productivity.

Increased opportunities & income

This is a huge plus!

As an example, my son John works as an email marketing freelancer through a company online. He is contracted for 40 hours a week at $60 an hour.

Now, it only takes him around 15 hours a week to perform this job, because he is so extremely proficient and productive. Since he is contracted for 40 hours a week at $60 an hour, he still gets paid for the 40 hours a week.

So this means he makes the full $2400.00 a week, even though he only needs 15 hours a week himself to the job.

As a result of his proficiency, John was able to take on a second job through this company, that also pays him $2400.00 a week.

Remote positions can also open up additional job opportunities for individuals with limitations to working in more traditional job roles. For instance, people that have disabilities that prevent them from traveling or working long hours can build their careers remotely.

The ability to work from anywhere, can also mean an increase in job opportunities in many different industries like technology, healthcare and education.

Cons And Disadvantages

Working from home can be a great way to save money, increase productivity, and have greater control over your work schedule. However, there are some cons to working from home that should be considered before making the decision to work from home.

• Increased isolation & loneliness
• Diminishing social connections
• Distractions at home
• No set routine
• Self discipline

Increased isolation & loneliness

It can be pretty lonely working by yourself all day long. I know from first hand experience, as I have run my own business from home now for over 18 years.

I never even thought about it when I got started, it just kinda started creeping its way in, and the longer I worked completely from home, the more I felt isolated and alone.

For my self, this was the biggest obstacle I had to over come.

At first it was very difficult to deal with, as I had no one to talk with all day long. But once I learned to network online with others through using Skype, Zoom, and online communities, it made it much easier to adjust.

To be honest though, people are busy, and there is not always people available to chat with, so it still gets lonely.

This is to me the biggest disadvantage to working from home, and why I have listed it first. It still affects me from time to time.

So make sure and highly consider this con, especially if you are a huge people person like I am. I love people and in person contact!

Diminishing social connections

This is a major disadvantage as well, and goes hand and foot with isolation and loneliness.

Think about it, no more daily direct interaction with co-workers, or people you run across along your route to work and home.

No more everyday in person lunches with your work colleagues, or stopping after work for a quick hangout or social hour.

You see your social connections a lot less, so you are much less likely to keep the connections as strong.

As a result of me working from home for years, many of my old social connections are gone, many of them have completely disappeared. In fact, some of my old work friends and acquaintances I have not even seen or run into since I started working from home.

When you do not see people on an everyday basis, things change fast, and it can be a real downer. You can actually feel a real loss.

I would say, I definitely have a lot less close friends that I see on a regular basis. To combat this, I have learned over the years to make sure and schedule more time with those I care about to keep my social connections I do have stronger.

Distractions at home

All distractions can be a major disadvantage to working from home. The television, the phone ringing, children, pets, and household chores can affect how well you perform your job.

Too many distractions or interruptions can can make remote work a lot more difficult.

Letting distractions get the best of you, can lead to a massive decrease in your productivity and motivation.

So if your the type of person who has difficulty concentrating or if you are easily distracted, this may be a big obstacle that you will need to overcome to be successful working from home.

You can limit some distractions by making sure to work in a dedicated room, and keeping the door closed. And be sure to set working hours or time, where your family knows not to disturb you.

Make sure to explain to all family members as well, that when you are working, it is work time, and only in emergencies should they interrupt you.

Your family needs to have ground rules and know how extremely important your job is to their lifestyle and providing for them., even though you do it from home.

No set routine

As I started working from home, it took me a while to understand that I needed a set routine. At first I found my self getting side tracked, and doing things that were unproductive to my business goals.

I would do things like scroll through Facebook, or Twitter, and then realize I wasted an hour doing so, even though it only felt like a few minutes.

When having a traditional job, where you go to like an office and punch a time clock, everything is set by a routine almost automatically for you.

When telecommuting – working from home, you need to set up a routine to follow, otherwise you will find your self scrambling to get your job done, because you can waste a lot of time doing unproductive things without even thinking you are.

So make a schedule, and a most important daily task to accomplish first. You need to be focused and on track.

I learned to make list, and stick to them.

Self discipline

Similar to not having a set work routine, but more importantly is self discipline. If you do not have the motivation and self discipline to work independently, you will never set up a routine and stick to it.

This is one of the most important attributes you need in order to be successful working from home.

It’s your responsibility to make sure you’re not on social media for hours, or watching YouTube videos, when you have a project that needs to get done.

It’s all you, no one else is going to get the job done for you!

Does Working From Home Save You Money?

Absolutely, working from home allows you to save big time!

Think about all of the money you spend on commuting back and forth to work, child or pet care, and work related expenses like wardrobe, parking, or tolls.

Transportation is one of the most expensive parts of having a traditional job.

People in the United states can spend up to $5,000 on transportation each year alone. And I am sure you have seen personally how transportation expenses can catapult, when we have an economy like the one we are experiencing now.

There are even more opportunities when telecommuting to put money back in your pocket, as you’re less inclined to spend money on coffee, lunch, incidentals, and other food-related expenses with fellow coworkers.

Best Places To Find Work From Home Jobs

There are now many jobs that can be done from home, and some of the best places to find them are online. Here are some of the best places to find work from home jobs:

• FlexJobs.com
• LinkedIn.com
• MarketerHire.com
• GrowthCollective.com
• ZipRecruiter.com
• Indeed.com
• UpWork.com
• WeWorkRemotely.com

When doing job searches with any site, always choose ‘remote’ as the location, to bring up work from home jobs.

Is Working From Home The Right Choice For You?

Ultimately, you are the only one who can decide if you should make the move to telecommuting.

Many people thrive in a work from home environment, and yet some do not.

Here are 5 things to consider before making the switch:

1. Are you able to take care of your work and home life simultaneously?
2. Do you have a dedicated space and the equipment to get your work done?
3. Will you be able to handle the lack of social interaction?
4. Are you self motivated, or do you need others to direct you?
5. Are you easily distracted?

Work From Home Job FAQS

Besides the pros and cons of working from home we listed in this article, here are some of the most common questions we have been asked as well.

What is telecommuting?

Telecommuting means – working from home. Which has become increasingly popular in the last couple years, due to the pandemic, and the world changing to a more digital work and business environment.

There are many reasons people may choose to work from home, including wanting more flexibility and control over their work schedule, seeking a more comfortable work environment, or looking for a commute that is less physically demanding.

Can I work part-time?

Yes, in the current economy there are numerous opportunities to work both part-time or full-time. It is really your choice, just keep searching until you find the ideal work from home job that suits your needs.

Can I become a freelancer?

Yes, there are companies looking for both freelancers and more traditional employee positions. The possibilities are truly endless.

Will I receive a W-2 when working from home?

Yes, and no, if you work as a freelancer most likely you will receive a 1099-NEC, if you find a more traditional job role, yes, you will receive a W-2.

Do I need experience?

In many cases yes, all depends on the profession and industry. But in many other cases no, as many companies will hire people with little to know experience, all depends on the industry and type of work from home job you are looking for.

How do you start?

Go to the links we provided above on the best places to find work from home jobs, click on them and start job searching, eventually you will find a suitable match for the type of work at home job you are looking for. Do not give up until you do.

It is as simple as that.

Remote Home Office Costs

One main con of working from a remote location at home, is you’ll have to pay for your own office. Remote work expenses for the office will cost you around $50-$100. (More if you don’t already have a computer or laptop)

Remote work pros may spend more on their office in order to be the best they can remotely.

One of the big work from home pros is that home working allows you to customize your office however you’d like.

Pros and Cons You Get Working From Home: Final Thoughts

Fortunately for us, the pros and cons of working from home, the pros have far outweighed the cons, and we would not go back for nothing!

Both me and my son have made our living from the comfort of our own homes for many years, and the advantages we have encountered have been many.

But yet for some, who lack the self discipline and self motivation, the transition from a traditional job situation to working from home may be disastrous.

So make sure and truly weigh all of the pros and cons before deciding to make the leap. One last good home pro tip, is to take it all one step at a time.

Please leave us a comment below if you ever have any questions or need help in anyway, or just say hi.

Have a fantastic day!

Sincerely,
Your Friends And Partners
Richard And John Weberg