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As the globe is in the grip of a major crisis, everyone has had to make a number of adaptations in order to cope. One example is the firms embracing a work-from-home culture and grappling with the benefits and drawbacks of doing so.
Employees have been gushing about how amazing it is to be able to work remotely, independently, and on their own schedules since this change, in addition to all of the other advantages of working from home. However, when we consider the larger picture, there are a number of drawbacks to working from home. Every aspect of life has advantages and disadvantages. The ability to work from home is no exception. You have to always gain the experience to work from home.
Working from home is advantageous for many people, but not for everyone. It has resulted in losses for small company owners and coworking space operators. It's because these locations come at a cost, and every employee is a valuable asset. When no staff work in these areas, it is clear that they are being decommissioned.
That being said, let's take a look at some of the disadvantages of working from home and decide for yourself if it's a blessing or a burden.
Though there are certain downsides to working from home, most of these problems apply to individuals who work from home for the majority of their working week rather than just a portion of it:
Motivation propels individuals forward and helps them attain their objectives. When one is placed in the wrong location and at the wrong moment, it is easy to lose motivation. It raises the stakes of obtaining the intended business goals.
Working in an office with coworkers who share a shared objective and purpose, or getting a pep talk with a boss, may be tremendous sources of external inspiration. Working from home, on the other hand, lacks that type of setting.
A lack of motivation may make life tough for an employee and have a negative impact on their productivity. Though self-motivation might be effective in some cases, it is not always sufficient to keep a man going. This is when using external incentive comes into play.
The second most common concern, identified by 45% of those polled, was difficulty concentrating on job difficulties. Concentration killers include everything from noise from family or neighborhood activities to just looking out your home office window at the gorgeous view of your lawn.
Others may find it difficult to believe that you are working from home—or are attempting to work from home. Aside from the regular doorbell ringers, such as salespeople and individuals collecting for charity, well-meaning neighbors will drop by, figuring you have time to speak because you haven't gone far to get to work. Family members may believe you are accessible to pick up dry washing, walk pets, and fulfil many other demands.
There's also the telephone. It will be difficult to persuade individuals to call you during your non-working hours rather than at primetime.
Remote employees have appreciated the transition from working in a crowded office area to their own peaceful and cozy home office. However, just as everything has two sides, a home office offers negatives as well.
Setting up a home office with a high-end laptop/desktop, a fast internet connection, and additional equipment such as printers/fax machines may be pricey. And that is not ideal for everyone. Furthermore, working via the internet may make it difficult to obtain critical corporate papers that are otherwise readily available in the office.
Furthermore, distributing those papers may cause security concerns. Again, other procedures must be taken, such as the use of Virtual Private Networks or secure cloud access.
When a team works from home without the presence of an authority figure or boss, things might turn disastrous since there are a few people who either don't work or don't allow others to work.
Many times, you will lose work and have to refund people's retainers because the folks working with you did not finish their task on time and you missed your deadline.
When your team fails to deliver work on time or submits subpar work, you lose face with the customer, who believes you are untrustworthy and will not hire you for future projects.
Household sounds such as washing machines, dishwashers, air conditioners, and other appliances were noted as a nuisance by 29% of individuals who work from home. TV noise was noted by 25% of those questioned in a separate category.
However, if your home has poor sound insulation or your home office cannot be isolated from noise sources, such as being on a different floor of the house, this will be a continuing issue unless you can negotiate with your family to have some or all of these activities take place outside of your working hours.
Many of these issues may be avoided by adhering to the fundamentals of excellent small or home office design.
Access to confidential corporate papers was cited as a problem by 20% of respondents. If the records are only available on paper, regular visits to the corporate headquarters may be necessary.
In the case of electronic documents, it will be important to study methods of safely accessing documents over the internet, such as Virtual Private Networks (VPN) or secure cloud access.
If you want to work from home rather than merely be at home, you must establish an atmosphere in which you can function in a business-like way. This involves having a well-equipped home office and structuring your work routine in ways that prevent people from interrupting you while still keeping you motivated when working from home.
You must be able to inform guests and family members, firmly but respectfully, that you will be unable to respond to their requirements while you are at work.
