We’ve all heard how commuting back and fourth to work in our gas guzzlers is killing the environment.
I’m here to tell you that retiring the car and working in your pajamas may end up killing you.
OK, maybe I’m being a bit extreme this morning. I mostly work from a home office and today both my kids are home from school because the school year ended yesterday. They start camp in a few weeks but I figured since I work from home it would be easy to have them hang out here while I do my job.
This is just one of many work-at-home delusions my friends.
I know many of you want my gig because you think it’s job nirvana to never have to leave the house. A recent Monster poll found that 48 percent of you would work from home if you could.
And the environmental benefits are enormous.
If all of you who could work from home did so for one day that would “eliminate 423,000 tons of greenhouse gases—the equivalent of taking 77,000 cars off the road for a year,” according to telecommuting researchers and authors Kate Lister and Tom Harnish.
And there’s been study after study on how good it is for workers.
The latest one is by Brigham Young University and was written about on NPR’s “All Tech Considered” this week:
…the underlying idea is that while some work is best done in an office setting, having the flexibility to choose when and where they do at least parts of their jobs allows workers to devote greater attention to tasks while they’re “on,” while carving out other time slots for other things.
Right now, according to Lister and Harnish, less than 2 percent of workers in the United States work from home the majority of the time.
I say, thank goodness.
Why do I say this? Because of the SEVEN DEADLY SINS OF WORKING AT HOME that no one will tell you:
1. Parent Purgatory. (Wrath) Can you imagine all the moms and dads out there having to figure out how to squeeze in a meeting, or assignment between “Mommy look at this” and “Daddy, my poopee missed the toilet”?
2. Can Anybody Hear Me? (Lust) There’s also the loss of adult interaction. I know, video conferencing has come a long way, but it’s not the same as talking to someone face to face or going down to the cafeteria for a cup of coffee together because you had a bad meeting with your manager. Frankly, my dog Ody is getting sick of my boss bitching.
3. Spreading Buttocks. (Gluttony) I find myself glued to my office chair for hours at a time when I’m wrapped up in doing research. When I was an office dweller colleagues would often come over and bug me, causing me to turn away from the computer, or, dare I say it, actually get off of my ass. When there’s activity around you, it’s hard not to get inspired by it and move around.
4. Woman As Island. (Sloth) Creativity and inspiration can sometimes be lacking because you become so caught up in yourself. No one’s asking what you’re working on. No one’s around to bounce an idea off of and have them tell you, “you’re insane” or “I’d try something else.”
5. Who Are You? (Envy) No matter what people tell you, if you work from home you lose a bit of worker credibility. Friends and family sometimes call or stop by figuring you couldn’t be that busy. And even in your work, there’s often a change in tone from clients or sources when they hear you “work from home.” Sorry, working from home still hasn’t gotten the props it deserves.
6. I Am Super Mom. (Pride) The biggest hurdle is yourself. Working from home makes you think you have flexibility that you really don’t have. “I can have the kids stay home for a few weeks before camp.” “I can take a yoga class at lunch.” “I can finish the eight loads of laundry and still finish my project.” Well, you can’t. If you were working in an office you would have planned for all these things, making appointments well in advance, or making baby sitting arrangements. Clearly, you can’t show up at the office or factory with little Evie in tow.
7. Never Punch Out. (Greed) And finally, the big negative — You are never off the clock. Just ask my hubby and he’ll complain to you for hours about how I’m working constantly…after dinner, on the weekend, etc., etc., etc. My home office is for ever calling me into its belly.
Yes, yes, there are benefits to working at home but I’m not going to share those today. I’m feeling a little overwhelmed and don’t really see the positive side at the moment. You all may have to help out here and remind me why it’s so great to work from home.
I love trees. But right now I feel like George Washington and I’m heading to the cherry tree with a CareerDiva hatchet.
June 10th, 2010 at 11:37 am
I enjoyed your list and the comparison to the 7 deadly sins! I have a blended existence right now- I work in the office 3 days a week and from home 2 days a week. I agree that there is a “grass is greener” perception for folks who work in an office full-time who would love to work from home.
My husband works from home full-time, and he is constantly belittled by friends and family that he “is so lucky” and can “play on the internet all day”. No one gives him fair credit that he is actually working! The envy factor is high.
Thanks for shedding light on the not-so-glamourous part of working from home!
June 10th, 2010 at 11:47 am
That is exactly it Cege — the grass is always greener.
I probably will have lots of struggles when I go back to an office job. But right now, I am pinning for such and opportunity.
June 10th, 2010 at 1:05 pm
Whenever I catch myself thinking about greener grass, I remember this version of the old statement: “The grass on the other side of the fence still needs to be mowed.”
June 11th, 2010 at 2:35 pm
I feel your frustration and I’ve been (am still!) there too, but I think we have to be careful to qualify it so as not to mislead or unnecessarily discourage people. Others who’ve tried working from home while their kids were little warned me before I dove into it that it was the worst of both worlds and in some ways it definitely is. Trying to do the work-life tango is hard as hell, but it’s not impossible. And it’s not for everyone certainly, but for those with enough stamina to ride the crazy rollercoaster and enough self-discipline and organizational skills, I think it’s worth the extra effort.
As to the 7 sins, my lessons learned the hard way:
1. You have to plan for childcare for your children when you plan to work, period. I have 3 children (now 5.5, almost 4, & 9 mos. old). I tried just about every alternative for child care before I found my solution - fabulous daycare out of my home for children over 2. Between about 9 mos. & 12-18 mos. I think a sitter for a couple of the baby’s awake hrs during the day at home is perfect.
2. I definitely lean on social media (Twitter- which is how I saw this post, & Facebook etc.), but I also schedule in person meetings with business colleagues when possible and make an effort to get out & about with other grownups as much as I can. I actually don’t miss the interruptions from work colleagues when I’m trying to focus to work & prefer being able to tune in when I’m not totally focused (like now!) or schedule it instead.
3. OK, yes, I’m sitting here eating M&Ms drinking my morning coffee, but that’s b/c my kids kept me too hopping busy to drink it this morning before I got them to school, late. I consider the multiple trips up & down the stairs daily & dancing around w/ & chasing my kids my exercise for now.
4. I’ve found & created networks of colleagues w/whom to regularly bounce around ideas & get feedback. I ‘m also fortunate to have a great team supporting me in my solo law practice & during our routine calls & in-between emails they offer honest feedback & constructive criticism & suggest ideas etc.. I’m also very grateful for a best friend who lovingly serves as a sounding board & brutally honest critic.
5. As for credibility: I work from a dedicated home office, not a tray table or tiny corner desk in my living room. There’s a big ol’ “law office” sign out front. I’ve posted pictures on my FB fan page and a video tour on my blog even. I do struggle with that initial response, but really I think it’s harkening back to a previous era in which people routinely had professional offices attached to or within their homes. As for perception by family & friends: I struggled with that a bit at the outset until I explained, politely but firmly, that I am *working* during the following days/hours and not available to talk then. I also have a separate work phone line and just let the personal calls on the home phone go to voice mail while I’m busy working and can’t talk. It’s about setting expectations & I’ve found once they understood they’ve been very respectful about it. I also maintain separate personal and professional email accounts and handle them the same way as the phones.
6. Yes, you must treat your work-for-pay hours as just that. It takes a bit of discipline. Either my husband & I get the kitchen & laundry all cleaned up & put away after or before work (even though we’re both usually dead to the world tired & would much rather just sit & veg in front of the TV then crash, drooling on our pillows) OR I have to ignore the housework during my work hours & try again that night. The only exceptions: I don’t take real lunch breaks, so dishes for 1/2 hr while eating I deem OK. And shhh, but I sometimes fold laundry while talking with a colleague while we’re bouncing those ideas off one another (never while talking with a client! that’s when I have my yellow legal pad out scribbling notes). Oh, and sick days - that’s why some wonderful person invented the television & educational programming. And Wii. And online computer games. And wipe-off books to practice writing and reading…
7. Sad but true. I often joke that I can check out any time I like but I can never leave. But for now, I’m OK with it. For me, I get to spend time with my kids in the morning instead of commuting and I spend time with them on my days off and I make up for that by working some (not all) nights during the week & some (but not all) hours on the weekends. It’s hard, but I believe ultimately totally worth it.
And now, it’s nap time for my littlest one & then a couple hours of totally focused client work time for me. Good luck - hang in there!
-Danielle
June 11th, 2010 at 8:36 pm
OMG, I so appreciate this list Danielle. You are a work-at-home god!!!!
December 23rd, 2011 at 2:08 pm
Lol! Okay — you make some excellent points. However, I do love working from home. Don’t get me wrong, I’m incredibly social, but I appreciate being able to stay focused and get my work done, so I can move on with my day. My big set back is definitely being able to be “off work” when it’s so easy to send one. more. email. But not having to get in the car and fight traffic, saving me an hour or two to do that “yoga” class, etc. — I love it! You definitely provided a laugh though because not all days are perfect.