Telecommuting pros and cons essay

Running head: Disadvantages of Working From Home

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Disadvantages of Working From Home

Disadvantages of Working from Home

Working from home has its pros and cons. A lot of people think that just anyone can work from home when in fact they have to be very self-motivated in order to be able to be productive in a home working environment. He or she does not realize the actual disadvantages an employee, and the employer has when an employee telecommutes for work. Working remotely is an issue because productivity can decrease, it can cause employee stress, and sometimes remote workers become uncommunicative.

At home, there are a lot of things to do and a lot of distractions. Friends and family are distractions. If he or she does not understand that you are working from home, it can become a massive social hour. Working from home is a luxury, not the time to socialize with your friends. Another serious issue with working from home for the average mother. If you are married or have children at home, this type of work situation could be especially convenient for you (Richardson, n.d.). They are working from home to cut down on child care costs other things of that nature. When the employee is not able to adequately manage their time between children and work this can lead to a serious issue to the employer, which is a huge problem in working from home in today's society.

Working from home is a luxury, and doing housework and telecommuting is an awesome way to multitask. In an office, the employee is at work sitting at his/her desk with no other distractions. At home, the employee has a long list of chores to get done like do laundry, and make beds. The employee may not realize how a quick 5 minutes away from the computer matters but in an office setting where you go to work every day there are absolutely no small house work activities to compete with his or hers time.

It's always been hard to manage little cattiness in the office as it is. So if some employees have the luxury of working from home and some don't this could cause an issue in the work place. A lot of employees talk about other employees, and if someone makes more money or something of the sort, it's always the talk around the office. Working from home has become a luxury that many employees can take advantage of. Many employees may feel that since an employee has the luxury of working from home which is saving on gas, childcare, and time that he or she working from home should bring in less money.

Another way working from home can cause an issue in the office is some employees will be closer than others. You miss out on the camaraderie that stems from working with others day after day (Richardson, n.d.).At the company Christmas party, you’re bound to have your cliques as not everyone knows each other as well as the people that see each other every day. Also, employees miss out on office extras such as company lunches, birthdays and baby showers.

When employees work from home he/she seems to be on an island away from the workplace. Employees are unable to reach each other at times when it is most imperative. Employees work there on hours at times depending on the guidelines of their employment and it can be extremely difficult to get ahold of them when someone is in need of a helping hand. Training because nearly impossible for the employee as they are once again on an island away from the office, and in most times they are located out of state. Loneliness and inability to work face-to-face with others to talk creatively, bounce ideas, etc. Distractions are plentiful, so it’s always a challenge to avoid them (Kohrman, 2013).

Working from home takes a phenomenal amount of discipline not to do exactly what he or she wants to do. You must be entirely self-motivated (Richardson, n.d.). They should still be able to interact with other employees even though he or she is not present in the work place environment. An employee can easily leave and go have a long lunch or go to an appointment in the middle of the day and it just so happens another coworker did not know their schedule for the day and needed them. This, in turn, can create a serious problem with other employees in the office. Another negative effect from working home the boss can't see that you are working hard or putting in extra hours, so you are judged more on the numbers than your work ethic and other intangible factors (Richardson, n.d.).

Working from home is not all it's cracked up to be from both sides of the view, the employer and the employee. It has its advantages and disadvantages. There are tons of distractions at home where the employee is unable leave your home and go to work and get rid of that easy. There is a huge risk of employee controversy. Lastly, there is a serious lack of communication especially in emergencies.

References

Richardson, B. (unknown date). The Pros and Cons of Working from home

https://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/pros-cons-of-working-from-home

Kohrman, M. (2013, December 11). The 5 Best and Worst things about working from home https://www.fastcompany.com/3023097/the-5-best-and-worst-things-about-working-from-home