Teleworking, e-working, working from home or working on the move

mlhynes

I’m currently doing some PhD research on various aspects of technology and sustainability and would like to begin a discussion on issues that impact on, and affect, people working from home. As someone who hasn’t used this method of working in the past I’m unsure of the various elements/issues/problems that affect people who work at a distance from their office for part of, or the entire, week. How does it affect your work/life balance, do you feel isolated or passed over at times, what would you regard as best practice, and is it a good thing overall for you? Feel free to push the discussion in any direction that you feel it should go and I’d appreciate any advice, direction and help with the topic.

pollypocket10

I've worked from home more recently over the past few months. In my case this was down to my company obliging me because of pregnancy issues more than anything.

While it was great to have the option I think that it's not something I would wish to continue doing on a more permanent basis.

I find I am less productive during the day but end up putting in more hours.

When you go to an office you get stuck in and go hard at it for the working day. I think at home it's easier to be distracted by the pile of washing that needs to go on, dishwasher needing to be emptied, pets looking for attention etc. To get what your work done you end up working much later into the evenings and of course, more work tends to come in in the form of emails which you end up carrying on with. The working day never ends, yet you probably only get the same amount done as you would an average day in the office.

Definitely does leave you feeling isolated too. Even though I might spend all day on the phone, I do feel a bit starved of social interaction.

Thats my experience anyhow but might be easier for someone more disciplined. Maybe having an actual office in my home would have helped also.

Eoin

Hi there, check out this recent thread, which covers a good few points.

mlhynes

Thanks Polly, that seems to bear out some of my initial research in the area. It’s surprising how much longer people work when they are at home and often don’t factor in the coffee breaks and ‘water cooler’ moments that we all have at work. Because it was a new method of working I’m curious to know if you’re employer provided any training beforehand, not only in the use of technology but in how to cope with the isolation, how to structure your day, and other aspect of teleworking?

Also, thanks Eoin for your direction and assistance