Pros and Cons of Working From Home

With soaring gas prices, it's no wonder that many American workers are dreaming about eliminating their commutes and working from home. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 20 million Americans work from home, a far greater number than a generation ago. It is predicted within the next 10 years more than 45% people will either be working from home or involved in a home based business. WOW! A little less than half us will say goodbye to alarm clocks, rush hour traffic, daycare providers and so on.

As in every thing else there are pros and cons to working from home, I truly believe it is a mixed blessing. For me the pros have much outweighed the cons.

Pros:

• Freedom and flexibility.
• There is no commute. AWESOME! No one likes rush hour traffic and constantly rising gas prices.
• No Dress Code. You can work in shorts/t-shirts or even PJS. My personal opinion, I work better when I am dressed and ready to start a new day. However, it is nice to have a lazy morning and to be able to crawl up on the couch with my laptop.
• No one looks over your shoulder.
• You can write off a portion of your home office expenses on your taxes.
• If you are married or have children at home, this type of work situation could be especially convenient for you.
• The children factor: No childcare costs, never missing any important milestones in their lives, not having to worry about calling out sick when they are sick. I could probaly go on forever just on the benefits of being home with your children, I think you get the point though.

Cons:

• You must be self disciplined and self motivated.
• No outside pressure to be busy.
• You must be entirely self-motivated.
• You can never escape the office and go home, because you are already there.
• There is a danger of putting in too many hours or overworking. As improbable as this might sound, imagine that it's 11 p.m. and you suddenly have a panic attack about work. It's all too easy to go into your home office and work until 1 a.m. Or it could go the other way around if not self motivated and you are not putting in the required hours to reach your goals.
• If you're a social butterfly who looks forward to connecting with colleagues in person every day, then the loneliness and isolation of working from home probably isn't for you. Many people want and need the personal connections and stimulation that come from working closely with other people on a daily basis. The only lunch dates you may get is with you child eating PB&J sandwiches :-)!

It all comes down to which choice fits better in your lifestyle. Working from home is not an option for everyone. For the right individual it can a very rewarding experience!

Tags: Work, Home, Pros, Cons