What is “home office” or teleworking from home?
As its name suggests, the home office Teleworking from home is any type of work performed by workers from their residential home, taking advantage of different resources such as personal computers, Internet access, messaging and video calling platforms, as well as programs for organizing work tasks and pending tasks.
Does it sound easy to do? This question has been widely debated by both companies and employees themselves, since the telecommuting It suggests having a degree of commitment and responsibility on both sides, as well as sustainable conditions so that employees can fulfill their obligations with the necessary tools to do so.
It is also important to take into account that working from home is a work model that cannot be carried out by all employees in a company or in all economic sectors. For example, packaging, construction, cleaning, customer service and other personnel will not be able to leave their jobs since their presence is essential to meet their objectives. However, there are other administrative, design, writing, online educator, and analyst positions, among others, that do not require attending an office to meet their work objectives.
Part-time home office vs. full-time home office.
Many companies have adopted this work trend in different ways depending on their particular circumstances and needs. There are corporations that have work plans for their employees that include one or more days a week in which they work from home in their monthly schedule. This is considered necessary to avoid overloading employees with such heavy weekly tasks and to reduce basic maintenance costs for office spaces.
On the other hand, there are other companies that have a group of workers who are not present in the office on a regular basis, and who are even located in different locations or countries fulfilling micro functions with daily and weekly deliveries.
This type of work is becoming more and more popular due to all the benefits it can bring to companies and employees. But the truth is that it has to meet high organizational criteria to be truly effective, so, like any other business model, it has its advantages and disadvantages.
Do you know the pros and cons of teleworking?
Like any work dynamic, working from home also has its positive and negative aspects that are important to consider before making the decision to practice it. Here we explain some pros and cons of working from home:
5 ADVANTAGES OF HOME OFFICE
- MORE FLEXIBLE SCHEDULES.
Being at home will allow you to fulfill your obligations at your own time most of the time, except for the occasional virtual communication or meeting with colleagues or superiors. This will allow you to complete your work hours at your own pace, and in the time frame that best suits you if you ever have to go out or take care of other personal matters.
- YOU SAVE TIME AND MONEY.
If you work from home, you won't have to spend time or money on transportation to get to work, so you can invest those savings later in something else or save them for emergencies.
- PEACE OF MIND AT HOME.
There is no place like home. If you are comfortable in your home and have a designated space to work then it will be the ideal place to do your work, because you will feel comfortable being there and that will motivate you to do a better job.
- REDUCE WORK STRESS.
Every office is different, but if we are at home we are likely to feel less work-related stress, because we don't have many people working around us creating pressure on deliveries or creating distractions with new projects.
- WORK ACUITY AND INDEPENDENCE
If we work from home, we will learn a lot about ourselves and how to carry out our work independently. Over time, we will sometimes feel the need to be self-taught, to improve our problem-solving skills and discover new technological tools that help us to have a better work dynamic.
5 DISADVANTAGES OF HOME OFFICE
- SEDENTARISM.
Working from home can radically change our habits, especially since we spend hours in the same place. A sedentary lifestyle is a consequence of this, since we do not have to go to an office every day, and there will be little physical movement if we do not incorporate it into our routine.
- ORGANIZATION.
Many teleworkers are in constant communication with their bosses and colleagues, but true organisation must come from our side. Flexible hours can make us work more or less without realising it, and personal time can conflict with work time, so discipline and good organisation will be key.
- SETBACKS.
When we work from home, all unforeseen events are our responsibility, and can be a distraction, a waste of useful time, and even a bit of stress. These can be unexpected power outages, internet connection problems, lack of resources or materials, which are technical support problems that an office normally faces.
- DISTRACTIONS AT HOME.
Your home may be full of personal distractions that take your focus off work and disrupt your schedule, such as family distractions with children or a partner, getting up to prepare lunch, or other chores at home that seem more urgent than your job.
- LITTLE OR ZERO NETWORKING.
When we are not in the office we do not connect personally with the rest of the people in the company. It is true that nowadays communications are increasingly flexible and extensive thanks to technology, but this limits us to only speaking with the people we work with directly. The office environment puts you in contact with staff from other departments and even new people who expand your working world for networking.
Do you think that working from home has more advantages than disadvantages?
This option would be very good for you if you are in the best mood for it despite the negative aspects. Those of us who have experienced both models know that both working in an office and working remotely have their pros and cons, and that neither is really better than the other, it is just a matter of disposition and balance.
We invite you to follow these tips if you are considering working from home and consider yourself a beginner:
TIPS FOR AN EFFECTIVE HOME OFFICE
Don't forget your pajamas! Staying in your sleepwear all day sounds great, but the truth is that this won't allow you to separate work hours from rest hours, causing your concentration and sleep hours to be affected by each other. Dress and shower as if you were going out or your brain will have a hard time differentiating between work time and rest time.
Avoid a sedentary lifestyle. You should include an exercise routine in your daily life because there will be days when you won't even have to leave the house. Get up periodically to stretch your muscles and joints. Even consider taking your laptop out to complete your tasks in work spaces outside the home a few days a week, such as internet cafes.
Have a routine. It is advisable to have a routine with tasks to follow, scheduled work and rest hours, an agenda with priorities, delivery dates and a list of short, medium and long-term goals.
Get ready! If you work from home, remember that you will need office supplies to a greater or lesser extent, and you must have what you need before you start working, or you will constantly get up from your chair to get something else. Reserve a space with your own desk for this, so that it is like having your own office at home.
Measure your time well. It is best to reserve some space and time for setbacks, avoiding leaving deliveries for the last minute, since something unexpected may arise that distracts you from finishing and delivering it successfully.
Communicate well. Keep communication channels open during work hours, such as your cell phone and email inbox, as this will be the only way to stay informed and communicate with your bosses and allies. Be very clear and precise in your communications, avoiding leaving room for doubts and misinterpretations.
Staying at home all day is definitely not easy!
But if you take these tips into consideration, you will discover that it can be a great and very effective way to work. Would you try teleworking?
