Having skipped breakfast perhaps, and barely having a minute or two for your spouse or kids, you hit the road only to inch along the traffic like a snail.
You reach office after two hours, or one (if you’re lucky), work your back off, gobble down a hasty lunch, finish your work, hit the road back home, and snail along the traffic yet again.
Home sweet home at last and all you can manage to do is probably have a tired dinner, and crawl onto the bed for a dead man’s sleep!
Ever dreamed of having a small home office where you could work from, giving yourself ample time to spend with your spouse and kids? The icing on the cake would be no traffic hassles, for sure.
In an age where you have phones that work like computers, computers that have applications that work like phones, and cameras that work like computers with internet access, all you need is probably just fingers!
Crazy technology seems to outdo the idea of working in the office! So much that you fantasize yourself into a world of bliss with you in pyjamas, at home, working on your laptop, with your kid on your lap, and your spouse planting a peck on your cheeks every other hour…
Hold your horses! Working from home is far from that and is quite the tougher option. Says Nikhil MM, a Business Analyst, “I recently underwent a knee surgery and was advised against putting much weight on my legs. So, I chose to work from home for a few days. But it didn’t really go too well. I was easily distracted and worked ever so slowly, ultimately working extra-long hours – much longer than office hours! Also, when you don’t meet your clients in person, they tend to take you less seriously.”
Manjula Babaladi, a Content Developer, says “I am a full-time employee at the company I work for currently. However, I work from home quite often. I’m given that option as I have a small son to take care of.” “The flexibility that comes with working from home is really great, but it cuts down on personal communication skills.
Interpersonal interaction plays a vital role in career growth and you won’t get that when you work from home,” she adds as an important note.
PROS
The Art Of Snailing: No traffic hassles or hours of painful driving.
Cut The Carbs: No eating out frequently.
Chinta-Money: No petrol filling, no eating out frequently, and no treating colleagues means money saved.
Sinful Sleeping: No waking up unnaturally early to evade traffic.
Break The Fast: No skipping the first meal of the day; you can eat in peace.
Toss The Boss: No boss breathing down your neck.
Serial With Cereal: No travel means you get time to catch your favourite TV serial as you slowly and happily dig into your favourite cereal.
CONS
Non-Sociable Element: Your social skills may fly out the window.
All Work, No Play: You may overwork yourself assuming you haven’t worked enough.
The Nosy Aunties: Friends and relatives may not take your work seriously.
Online Crawling: You may be easily distracted, as you will have access to all social networking sites.
Greasy Ladder: You may be dropped out of a promotion because you work from home and can’t manage a team that way.
Eternal Jetlag: You may lose your regimen and not be able to tell 2AM from 2PM!
Self-Technician: You may need to fix technical snags yourself, which could delay your work and even spoil an important online meeting.
TIPS
Laxman Rekha: Learn to keep office work only within the office room of your house.
Ignorance Is Bliss: Do not open tabs or windows for social networking sites. Or block them out altogether while working.
Religious Routine: Set-up a routine and stick to it. If 9-5 is the office timing, then, stick to that 9-5 at home as well.
Sweet Intervals: Cuddle your kid and coddle your spouse only during breakfast and lunch. All other short breaks need to be short and solitary.
Costumes and Props: Working from home too is nothing short of professional and needs to be treated that way. Dress up as if you’re going to the office, if need be. Keep your work desk clutter-free and have all the stationery in place.
Often, it is freelancers, or the self-employed, or small entrepreneurs who work from home. Lately though, more and more companies are opening up to full-time employees who would want to work from home.
Whether or not it is in sole favour of the employee’s comfort can be questioned of course. A snip in the salary benefits could be quite a damper on your work-from-home fancy. However, if you’re a charmer who can dazzle your employer with your confidence and effective communication, it could be quite the opposite too!
Ultimately, it all boils down to the employee’s style of work. If you are highly disciplined and love being independent, then work-from-home option is for you. Else, it is wise to learn the art of snailing along the Bangalore traffic...