Working From Home - Is It All That?

The advent of ultra-fast internet connections and improvements in communication mean that the ease for employees to work from home is at its peak. Yet many companies are reticent to offer its staff the opportunity to work from outside the office.

This may not seem to be that surprising, yet even more startling is the view held by many employees that they too do not wish to work from the comfort of home.

Certain readers may well be asking themselves why would anyone turn their nose up at such an opportunity, while others nod in agreement. In this article, we will take a look at just five reasons why employees prefer an office environment to the surroundings of home.

1. Motivation. How many of us can truthfully say that we never left our school, college or university homework until the last minute? The very problem of motivating yourself to do something that is not particularly interesting is an issue on a universal scale. If motivation were not an issue, we would all no doubt be the CEO of our own internationally successful company!

2. Distractions. Closely related to the issue of motivation, distraction can hold all of us back from achieving our ambitions. Think about the multitude of other things to keep you occupied at home: television, cleaning, pets, computer games, newspaper, books, etc. - the list is endless. I for one know I would prefer to lounge around playing Xbox instead of analysing pie charts and sales figures!

3. Relationships. Spending 40 hours a week in the workplace means that you forge relationships with your colleagues that help you through the working day. Sitting in front of a monitor from 9am to 5pm is not nearly as bad when you have your friends and colleagues to talk to throughout the course of the day. Sitting in front of a monitor from 9am to 5pm on your todd is not nearly as exciting!

4. Isolation. Many will find peace and quiet the perfect environment in which to thrive at the work. But for the majority, being isolated will have a detrimental affect on work and morale. Being shorn of company will mean being shorn of inspiration, challenges and motivation. Accordingly, employers may see the quality of work done by those working from home decline dramatically.

5. Promotion setbacks. The modern working office can be particularly cutthroat environment with all and sundry looking for promotion to the next level to increase their financial security. Employees that are seen and heard by the company hierachy on a day-to-day basis will be foremost in the mind when it comes to promotion opportunities, while those absent from the office may be equally as absent from their thoughts.

The five points listed above should be a prominent factor when considering a role that sees you work from home. Certainly each of the aspects will not apply to everyone, and working from home may prove a convenient and inspiring venture. But you should always think of those things in your current role that keep you going throughout the course of the day. Are you really prepared to do without these and swap the office environment for the living room?