4 ms·

of course it's a productivity boost, but is it healthy for the worker?

by tribby 8y ago

heurist 8y ago
No commute, homemade lunch, more family time...?
- King-Aaron 8y ago
  More distraction, less diverse social interaction, more requirement for stringent routines (assuming for a percentage of people)... It would be interesting to weigh up the pros/cons.
  - woogiewonka 8y ago
    Wait, these are cons to working from home? If you get distracted at home, you probably get as equally distracted at work. I have been working from home for close to 5 years now and for me it's been the exact opposite - less distractions, more work done in shorter amount of time it would take me to do it in the office. Less social interaction - sure, but it doesn't have to be that way. Social interaction lost one place can be gained elsewhere. Stringent routines? What's wrong with discipline and having the ability to engage and disengage when you please?
- cs02rm0 8y ago
  Home gym, quiet working environment with walls and a door, ability to receive online orders, monitors as large and high res as I wish to pay for, fridge and kitchen to myself stocked as I wish. Friends and family nearby if you want to lunch with them. You bet it's healthier. Except perhaps slightly increased exposure to the three germ incubating kids under 5 that live here, but there's not much I can do about that now apparently.
  - tribaal 8y ago
    Not to mention: able to live in a large, comfortable house in the country side in the middle of nature (if that's your thing). EDIT: I think kids-flu is hard to avoid at that age, home office or not :P
  - collyw 8y ago
    My cycle to work and back is half an hours hard cycling each way. I am in good shape since I started this job. (Previously it was a <10 minute roll down a hill followed by 15 minutes cycle back up).
  - thaumasiotes 8y ago
    > slightly increased exposure to the three germ incubating kids under 5 that live here, but there's not much I can do about that You could homeschool them.
- tribby 8y ago
  no doubt there are positive outcomes! I guess what I'm speculating about specifically is a reduction in the number of people one socializes with in a collaborative way and a blurring of the line between work and home that may affect a significant portion of the work-from-home population in a negative way. for me the best situation has always been being a few minutes walking distance from the office. work stays at work, home stays at home, no commute, no bullshit.
- gowld 8y ago
  Modern employers provide better lunch. Family time isn't necessarily quality time.
  - heurist 8y ago
    I disagree with your first assertion :) And I have a long daily commute which takes a lot of time and energy that would otherwise be available for my family. I'd argue that the little interactions throughout a workday at home are more valuable than few or no interactions from the office - quality time or not.
quickthrower2 8y ago
Less likely to catch a cold.
woogiewonka 8y ago
1. Poop any time you want 2. Take a nap vs. pretending to work 3. Less stress - no dealing with assholes in person, now you can simply click away. 4. Spend time with kids 5. No driving needed, avoid polluted highways, more sleep, less stress, less frustration. 6. Eat healthy home made. No need to ingest preservatives every day. 7. Keep sanity by working only when you are most productive vs. pretending to work when you can't get anything done. 8. Less stress from seeing asshole "managers"
- kuriho 8y ago
  Working at home offers very little protection from the pains of working for the wrong company.
  - Clubber 8y ago
    Yes, but it makes it more tolerable.
  - woogiewonka 8y ago
    I am most productive in early mornings and late evenings. Should I go ahead and tell my boss that I won't be doing anything mid-day and they should be cool with that? Name one place where people will okay this. I can already hear the argument - "but, working at home doesn't mean you can take the afternoon off!!!" I'm sorry to say this, but anyone who thinks they are 100% productive all throughout the day has not had to try hourly work where you get paid by the hours you work and not by the full day. Hourly freelancers know what I am talking about. I will go on record to say that most if not all people can NEVER function at 100% capacity. To believe that looking busy all day long = working is just wishful thinking, ignorance or foolishness, take your pick.
    - kuriho 8y ago
      So your fictional boss trusts you enough to allow work from home but somehow does not trust you when you propose to work early mornings and late evenings? I can not comment on the hourly freelancer part, but as I understand the US law that keeps getting cited in this thread: "it's illegal to require an independent contractor to be on site or to even set hours".
agumonkey 8y ago
there's the life/work balance that is different and can stretch negatively but it has a lot of value

of course it's a productivity boost, but is it healthy for the worker?

by tribby 8y ago

of course it's a productivity boost, but is it healthy for the worker?

heurist 8y ago

No commute, homemade lunch, more family time...?

King-Aaron 8y ago
More distraction, less diverse social interaction, more requirement for stringent routines (assuming for a percentage of people)... It would be interesting to weigh up the pros/cons.
- woogiewonka 8y ago
  Wait, these are cons to working from home? If you get distracted at home, you probably get as equally distracted at work. I have been working from home for close to 5 years now and for me it's been the exact opposite - less distractions, more work done in shorter amount of time it would take me to do it in the office. Less social interaction - sure, but it doesn't have to be that way. Social interaction lost one place can be gained elsewhere. Stringent routines? What's wrong with discipline and having the ability to engage and disengage when you please?
cs02rm0 8y ago
Home gym, quiet working environment with walls and a door, ability to receive online orders, monitors as large and high res as I wish to pay for, fridge and kitchen to myself stocked as I wish. Friends and family nearby if you want to lunch with them. You bet it's healthier. Except perhaps slightly increased exposure to the three germ incubating kids under 5 that live here, but there's not much I can do about that now apparently.
- tribaal 8y ago
  Not to mention: able to live in a large, comfortable house in the country side in the middle of nature (if that's your thing). EDIT: I think kids-flu is hard to avoid at that age, home office or not :P
- collyw 8y ago
  My cycle to work and back is half an hours hard cycling each way. I am in good shape since I started this job. (Previously it was a <10 minute roll down a hill followed by 15 minutes cycle back up).
- thaumasiotes 8y ago
  > slightly increased exposure to the three germ incubating kids under 5 that live here, but there's not much I can do about that You could homeschool them.
tribby 8y ago
no doubt there are positive outcomes! I guess what I'm speculating about specifically is a reduction in the number of people one socializes with in a collaborative way and a blurring of the line between work and home that may affect a significant portion of the work-from-home population in a negative way. for me the best situation has always been being a few minutes walking distance from the office. work stays at work, home stays at home, no commute, no bullshit.
gowld 8y ago
Modern employers provide better lunch. Family time isn't necessarily quality time.
- heurist 8y ago
  I disagree with your first assertion :) And I have a long daily commute which takes a lot of time and energy that would otherwise be available for my family. I'd argue that the little interactions throughout a workday at home are more valuable than few or no interactions from the office - quality time or not.

quickthrower2 8y ago

Less likely to catch a cold.

woogiewonka 8y ago

1. Poop any time you want 2. Take a nap vs. pretending to work 3. Less stress - no dealing with assholes in person, now you can simply click away. 4. Spend time with kids 5. No driving needed, avoid polluted highways, more sleep, less stress, less frustration. 6. Eat healthy home made. No need to ingest preservatives every day. 7. Keep sanity by working only when you are most productive vs. pretending to work when you can't get anything done. 8. Less stress from seeing asshole "managers"

kuriho 8y ago
Working at home offers very little protection from the pains of working for the wrong company.
- Clubber 8y ago
  Yes, but it makes it more tolerable.
- woogiewonka 8y ago
  I am most productive in early mornings and late evenings. Should I go ahead and tell my boss that I won't be doing anything mid-day and they should be cool with that? Name one place where people will okay this. I can already hear the argument - "but, working at home doesn't mean you can take the afternoon off!!!" I'm sorry to say this, but anyone who thinks they are 100% productive all throughout the day has not had to try hourly work where you get paid by the hours you work and not by the full day. Hourly freelancers know what I am talking about. I will go on record to say that most if not all people can NEVER function at 100% capacity. To believe that looking busy all day long = working is just wishful thinking, ignorance or foolishness, take your pick.
  - kuriho 8y ago
    So your fictional boss trusts you enough to allow work from home but somehow does not trust you when you propose to work early mornings and late evenings? I can not comment on the hourly freelancer part, but as I understand the US law that keeps getting cited in this thread: "it's illegal to require an independent contractor to be on site or to even set hours".

agumonkey 8y ago

there's the life/work balance that is different and can stretch negatively but it has a lot of value