A Personal Blog
Some People Don't Understand Working @ Home
Since moving to a self-employed position 3 months ago, I’ve found that some people simply don’t understand working at home is still working.
It doesn’t really bother me, it’s just not very fun to hear “so, what were you doing today?” all the time, as if I’ve been relaxing. I think it bugs my wife more than it bugs me.
I know that part of this is because in this rural setting, specifically with her family (who are all tradespeople) it’s hard to imagine how you could “work” at “home”.
Maybe this is just another reason to consider getting an actual office outside the home, once finances improve?
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| Print article | This entry was posted by Jeremy Wright on April 6, 2005 at 12:35 pm, and is filed under Work. Follow any responses to this post through RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed. |
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about 6 years ago
We need more a working commons in every major city in Canada.
about 6 years ago
I’ve had to deal with this for years. People assume I’m available during the day because I’m at home. Worse yet, for a long time they’d forward me job classifieds because they considered me “unemployed”.
Sometimes convincing myself I’m really working hard is even harder…
about 6 years ago
You ain’t kidding. I’ve been doing this for 5 years now. When I first started a manager (jokingly) suggested during a conference call team meeting that I was sitting in my bathrobe, drinking a beer, and smoking a joint. Complete disrespect and lack of understanding that just because I work at home doesn’t mean I’m any less professional about my work. My hours might be more flexible and I might take time out during the “work day” to do something else, but work still gets done, the phone gets answered, and meetings attended.
about 6 years ago
Great post – just linked up with some of my own thoughts….
maybe we should all get an office together….somewhere in between us….say…hmmmm …Hawai?
about 6 years ago
I’d say you should get an office either really seperate at home or somewhere else just because then it’s an office. You need to go home from work. I really feel that this is more a psychological thing.
So yes, get an office. Go to work and _leave_ work.
about 6 years ago
Working at home sometimes may cost u more time at work. Coz u don’t have a sence of leaving work, so sometimes u may even work all-night.In my opinion u had better get a normal style.
on the other hand, u have the right to redistribute ur working time. U can save much time from going and leaving work..
about 6 years ago
I agree with the above comments, you should get some sort of office. It’s the sycological differences to yourself, as well as others.
about 6 years ago
My experience is nearly the same.
I work from home just about everyday and I get comments about how nice it must be to stay at home all day. People wonder how I get anything done and also assume I’m available (but only once per person).
I do let people know – hey, I’m busy. I’m working. Not goofing around watching TV or sitting by the pool. Granted, I may take a peek at a blog or 2 over time but usually it’s to enhance my work life.
I separate myself from the hustle of the house by having a separate office. I’ll close the door if things get too loud and will work to stay very focused on the actual work at hand.
about 6 years ago
lol, I know what that’s like. You don’t need an office… unless you think you do. :)
about 6 years ago
I had an office for almost a year. IThankfully I was “forced” to move out after the building was sold. I actually got less done at my offic ethan I do at home. My office wasn’t that far, but driving to and from the office alone added quite a bit of time tomy day. I had to drive there, say hello to everyone, get coffee, setup my laptop, check voice mail, check email, then I would turn around and leave to go meet clients. It seemed like such a waste of time. Now that I am working from home again I sometimes have more done by 10 AM than some people get done all day.
about 6 years ago
I really hate that. No one considers anything but laborous work and office jobs in tiny cubicles to be tough work for some reason.
I’d say that just knowing you’re right is good enough to save you the money that you’d have to spend on getting an office, but that’s just personal opinion.
about 6 years ago
Oooh, I so know how you feel. I’ve been self-employed for eight years, and during most of that time I have worked harder than I ever did whilst working for someone else. When you’re working for The Man, you can slack off and so long as you don’t get caught or crap out on a deadline, you can get away with it. Slack off when you work for yourself and the guilt will get you, not to mention your To Do list. You can’t chuck a sickie, because the work will still be there when you come back, holidays become harder to take because the impetus to always be working can be difficult to resists, and the insecurity can be a killer. Weekends meld into weeks, lunchtimes get shorter and evenings get later. The isolation can be a nightmare too – I really miss socialising and going out to lunch.
On the other hand, if I want to go to a conference or take a day off I can. I choose where I work, and how. I decide which projects I want to work on, and which I don’t, and if I want to invent one of my own then that’s up to me. I never have to commute – I simply lean out of bed and pick up the laptop – and if I do want to work in my jimjams, I can. I can work from my desk, my bed, my lounge or my garden. I can even pick all my stuff up and go to the park if I fancy it. My days are never the same and I can grasp any opportunity that comes by that I fancy. Life is never dull, never repetitive and never boring. And, best of all, no one else is getting unduely rich at my expense!
Personally, I could never work in a 9-5 job again, because I would simply explode with frustration within about, oh, three weeks. So yeah, people’s lack of understanding can be annoying, but I’m the one who’s in control of my own destiny! (Unless, of course, it’s in control of me… which might be closer to the truth.)
about 6 years ago
Well put Suw!