You can wear what you like, take as many tea breaks as you please and don't have to worry about the boss seeing you slacking.
Yet research has found that working from home can be just as stressful as going to the office.
Home-workers often stay at their desks late into the night and at weekends, and complain that they can never escape work pressure - to the detriment of their family life.
Women, especially those with children and in managerial positions, have the most problems.
Researchers at the University of Teesside, backed by the Economic and Social Research Council, found that more than a quarter of those who work at home feel it makes their lives more difficult.
They said their self-esteem and 'work-life balance' had suffered. Dr Jeanne Moore, a lecturer in social science and law, said: 'Working from home can encroach on both evenings and weekends. People also found they were having difficulties managing space and time because of their families.'
Dr Moore said those interviewed complained that 'their home was no longer their castle'. The report concluded that working at home is a ' doubleedged sword' which allows greater flexibility but can also create problems.
Carol Savage, who runs a recruitment and consultancy service for home workers, said: 'In reality these people are working incredibly hard, not just watching TV or going to the supermarket.'
According to official estimates, 1.5million people - 5.5 per cent of the workforce - work at home. That number is expected to double by 2010.
One of them, recruitment consultant Sam Walker, said: 'You feel very relaxed in your own environment but you can also lose a bit of focus and momentum without people around to give you help and motivation.'
Mrs Walker, 36, worked for two years at home in Chelsea, West London, but has decided to return to office life - even though her annual income will drop.
Last year the University of Central Lancashire and the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology found that home-workers experience more stress than those in an office. They are also more likely to be lonely and irritable, which can lead to loss of concentration and sleeping problems
Saturday 6 April 2013
Working From Home is a LIFESTYLE
In our modern world there are many different ways of making a living, with many different cycle times.
The traditional "daily commute" of leaving home, travelling to a place of work and returning home in the evening is carried out by millions of us.This mixes with the life cycle of our families, spouse's job, children's school etc.
Should one cycle change, for instance as in some sales jobs, to a weekly cycle; out Monday, back Friday, this imposes changes to the spouse's life in having to assume more responsibility for every day decisions. With the advent of better telecommunications this is getting less problematical compared with 30 years ago!
With jobs such as on oil rigs or in export sales, the cycle becomes even more at odds with that of a family. The primary income earner may be away from the home for extended periods of weeks or even months. The prime example of this is the forces.These cases impose a much greater change of discipline on the family with the spouse and children forming a separate grouping into which the returning income earner (mother or father) has to adjust and fit. In a 6 week cycle such on oil rigs or on safety ships it can take 2 weeks to readjust, 2 weeks being part of the family group and then 2 weeks preparing to leave. Then the spouse and children return to deciding questions amongst themselves. This can lead to stress when the other spouse, on return, can be thought to be "muscling in". The advent of satellite comms. from even battlefronts has helped reduce this problem!
In the case of export sales trips, which can take a number of weeks, we have the case of the dreaded "neighbours' holiday films".You are advised not to take a camera as your trip is not a family holiday and he family is not really interested, having been living their own life cycles in your absence and then readjusting to your presence on your return.
The traditional "daily commute" of leaving home, travelling to a place of work and returning home in the evening is carried out by millions of us.This mixes with the life cycle of our families, spouse's job, children's school etc.
Should one cycle change, for instance as in some sales jobs, to a weekly cycle; out Monday, back Friday, this imposes changes to the spouse's life in having to assume more responsibility for every day decisions. With the advent of better telecommunications this is getting less problematical compared with 30 years ago!
With jobs such as on oil rigs or in export sales, the cycle becomes even more at odds with that of a family. The primary income earner may be away from the home for extended periods of weeks or even months. The prime example of this is the forces.These cases impose a much greater change of discipline on the family with the spouse and children forming a separate grouping into which the returning income earner (mother or father) has to adjust and fit. In a 6 week cycle such on oil rigs or on safety ships it can take 2 weeks to readjust, 2 weeks being part of the family group and then 2 weeks preparing to leave. Then the spouse and children return to deciding questions amongst themselves. This can lead to stress when the other spouse, on return, can be thought to be "muscling in". The advent of satellite comms. from even battlefronts has helped reduce this problem!
In the case of export sales trips, which can take a number of weeks, we have the case of the dreaded "neighbours' holiday films".You are advised not to take a camera as your trip is not a family holiday and he family is not really interested, having been living their own life cycles in your absence and then readjusting to your presence on your return.
The point of these observations is to show that any change of means of earning a living can mean a change of lifestyle, even when "working from home on the internet" .Effectively you have to live the job!
In support of working from home though I would say from personal experience with my grandchildren that being able to see the joy of children in the first 4 years of school in the morning is worth the effort; sadly something daily commuters miss!
In support of working from home though I would say from personal experience with my grandchildren that being able to see the joy of children in the first 4 years of school in the morning is worth the effort; sadly something daily commuters miss!
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