The author of this post wants readers to know that all references to daily activities, workload, and attire are purely in relation to her own work day and in no way constitute a represent the preferences of all remote workers worldwide. That said, the author believes pajamas should be the preferred attire for the majority of home workers, and if they disagree, then they’re crazy…
Most people probably think that the remote (or home) worker has the dream scenario: no commute, no need for business attire, the ability to interweave daily chores and personal activities with the work day, and the privacy to make rude noises at one’s leisure. Well, as a person who has been working from home for over five years, I must admit most people are 100 percent correct.
A day in the life of this remote worker usually starts with coffee and yogurt, an early-morning run, and checking and responding to email. The remainder of my day is split among working on ongoing action items, meeting immediate deadlines, attending scheduled team meetings and/or media briefings, and of course dealing with all the last-minute stuff that always comes up. Sounds pretty typical, right?
Here’s a few of the ways my work day is different: I’m usually checking email in my PJs, and after my daily run and shower, I sit down at the computer in sweats and a pony tail. My office is a few feet from my kitchen and my couch (though I try to avoid it, I really do), and my laptop allows me to work anywhere in my apartment.
The biggest perk to working remotely and part-time is having a flexible schedule. Most workers know that they will be in the office Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. (relatively speaking) and divide their tasks to accommodate those hours. As a home worker, there are only two items I need to arrange my day around – scheduled meetings and task deadlines. I’m not on a set schedule, so my day is mostly about achieving results. My workday can be noon to 5 p.m. or 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Arranging my schedule is sometimes challenging because I work with teams based both on the east and west coasts, but there’s still a lot of flexibility.
I once read that the typical office worker spends an average of 30 to 40 percent of his or her day doing non-work related activities. While this may not be the case for all workers, it’s something to think about. At home, there are fewer distractions. Yes, there’s my cat walking across my keyboard, and that annoying guy always mowing his lawn outside my window, but there’s no proverbial water cooler chatter (no gabbing about last night’s reality TV show, or sharing details of a recent weekend outing) and fewer impromptu meetings to be a part of. I just plan my tasks and the day’s over when they’re done.
Given the many benefits – working in my PJ’s, keeping my own schedule, being able to make personal calls in the privacy of my own home – one would think I have the perfect work arrangement. BUT in life, nothing is perfect (okay, white chocolate cheesecake with Bavarian cream and roasted almonds is pretty much perfection…but I digress.)
There is obviously a downside to being a remote worker as well. There’s the small stuff – no access to a closet full of office supplies, no in-person tech support, no company library of print publications, to name but a few.
The biggest problem I have with working from home however, is feeling disconnected. The same things that allow me to manage my time so well also isolate me from co-workers, making me feel, well, remote. At times, working from home can be downright lonely. I miss out on the banter, the office gossip, and the lunches with co-workers. Sure, I’ve built relationships with my colleagues, but there’s a camaraderie that stems from working side-by-side that you just can’t re-create over the phone or Internet.
And of course, there’s “workaholic syndrome.” Sometimes we all just work late, but because my office is also my home, I never actually leave. Separating business and personal time can be challenging. I often find myself checking email at midnight.
Lastly, I think it’s a challenge for any remote worker to stay fresh, stay imaginative. You get a vibe from interacting with co-workers in person that seems to stimulate original thought. It’s an energy that I believe stems from the constant chatter and noise of the office, one you can’t duplicate in a remote setting. So while working at home is great for time management, it can hamper the creative juices, and I have to push myself sometimes to step outside the “get tasks completed” mindset and think strategically.
In an effort to connect more with my teams, I’m making an effort to:
- Hold more conversations via video conference (I know, I’ll get out of my PJs and get dressed for these)
- Spend more time each year in both of Breakaway’s offices (who has a couch for me?)
- Finally get a smart phone or blackberry (yeah, I know, I’m a dinosaur)
- Establish a direct work computer set-up with VPN-like access to servers
- Participate more in impromptu media discussions (or maybe just morning gossip calls – anyone watch the Oscars?)
Despite some of the challenges, I still prefer working from home but I know it’s not for everyone. Some like the structure, social aspect and simple routine of going into an office. There are those who would spend all day sitting on their couch, eating ice cream and watching Days of Our Lives if they worked at home. (I swear, I don’t even know what time--ahem, 1 p.m.--Days is on.) But for me, the flexibility of schedule and the freedom to wear what I want to wear (I spend so much time in casual clothes, I had to go out and buy a suit the last time I had a formal meeting), the freedom to weave personal chores into the workday (my psychic hotline calls are very important), the ability to take calls in any room (kitchen, bathroom, closet – don’t ask), and the autonomy to get my work done at my own speed far outweigh the downsides.
So to all you office workers, I say enjoy that crowded commute tomorrow morning! I’ll be here in my pajamas, sipping some home-brewed java and taking a conference call from my sunny front porch.
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