Anyone else not like working from home?

[even sven]

The few times I've worked from home, I've hated it.

I feel like a slob, sitting in front of my computer all day. I feel unmotivated in my own house. I spend all day wanting to do dumb stuff on the Internet, and often I do, meaning I end up having to work late in the night. I find it boring, lonely, uncomfortable and depressing.

I like the social interaction at work. I like how it gets me out and about. I like actually putting on decent clothes in the morning and having somewhere to go and something to do. I like eating lunch at local restaurants. I like having someone to provide instant feedback on what I'm doing. I like being able to go home and actually be home. I even like the commute.

Anyone else with me?

[Lunar Saltlick]

The few times I've worked from home, I've hated it.

I feel like a slob, sitting in front of my computer all day. I feel unmotivated in my own house. I spend all day wanting to do dumb stuff on the Internet, and often I do, meaning I end up having to work late in the night. I find it boring, lonely, uncomfortable and depressing. Ditto.

I like the social interaction at work. I like how it gets me out and about. I like actually putting on decent clothes in the morning and having somewhere to go and something to do. I like eating lunch at local restaurants. I like having someone to provide instant feedback on what I'm doing. I like being able to go home and actually be home. I even like the commute.

No ditto. I hate being in the office as much as I hate working from home.

I'm doomed.

Ever notice that people who work from home invariably send you e-mail at 1:30 am, as though to suggest they put in a full 14-hour day when they're at home? And they CC everybody right up to the CEO. That kills me.

[Noone Special]

Yes, for all the reasons you've listed, and more:


The "social interaction" aspect isn't just that; nor is it just the "immediate feedback." Sometimes I need to ask people questions about their work, that I'm interacting with or building upon -- and it's a lot easier to do it by stepping over to their place and talking face-to-face, or inviting them over to take a look at my screen so they can understand what I mean. Email and even talking on the phone just don't cut it.

Remote Desktopping into my work machine just isn't as good as sitting in front of it -- I have a better monitor at work, and also the speed at which the screen refreshes for me at home is simply much slower than it is at my workstation (and I don't think it's my connection speed -- I have a relatively-slow-but-really-should-be-adequate-for the purpose 750 Kbps download speed at home.)


That said, I like having the option -- on days like today, where I had to spend all morning at home while workers installed new doors in all the rooms. Without the option, I would have had to take half a day off; this way I may have been 75% effective, but at least I got some work done. And didn't have to take time off for it*

So it's not all bad, as long as it's limited to specific cases where I just can't get in to work. I never stay to work at home just because I can, though!

* I'm salaried and will need to pick up the slack at some point anyway, so I'm not screwing my employer over. Believe me, they're getting more than 40 honest work hours a week out of me, in any case....

[overlyverbose]

I used to love working from home, but I've found that that's changed in the past few years, mainly since my son was born. In general, I find myself more interested in protecting the sanctity of my home from my work, particularly given that I usually work more hours when I work from home than when I go to an office. When I go to an office, even if I bring a laptop with me, I have more of a clean break from work than I have if I just turn off my computer. It's all mental, but it's there.

Also, I need the face time. Part of it is the instant feedback - it's much easier to just turn around and discuss regulations with someone than having to call or wait for them to read their e-mail - but sometimes I need someone to bounce creative ideas off of someone and seeing the expression on their face while I do so tells me a lot more about what they think of an idea than their words do. I've also noticed that people feel more comfortable telling me in person if they don't like something versus over the phone or e-mail. Lots of people assume that a criticism or honest opinion ("No, I don't like that") will be hurtful. I don't internalize criticisms generally, but people giving them do. Receiving negative information is just as important to me as getting positive information, sometimes moreso - knowing what someone doesn't like before I go too far with it lessens my workload and cuts out a lot of BS I'd have to deal with otherwise.

[Lavender Falcon]

I can't stand working at home, and I don't do it (which is fine with my employer). I'm much more productive in the office because, like the OP, I find being isolated boring and depressing. I need the buzz of activity around me in the office to stay focused on my work. As I jokingly tell my co-workers, I need them around so I have someone to ignore!

Unfortunately, I switched to a new group at work where everyone except me telecommutes a couple of days a week, and some of them don't work on Fridays. So I'm sometimes the only one in my aisle physically present, particularly on a Friday. It drives me insane, and it definitely colors my perceptions about whether I like my job or not. I have the same problem when I've ended up in a cubicle off in a corner by itself, with walls separating me from the rest of the office. This has happened to me twice, and both times I initiated job searches because I started hating my job.

If I ever leave my current job for another company, part of the reason will be that feeling of isolation I experience in the office. For now I'm hanging in there, but sometimes I really hate it.

[Rysto]

I've never worked from home, but I'm certain that I'd be terrible at it. When I was a student I was awful at sitting down and getting stuff down. When I'm forced to be in an environment where I am expected to work, I find it much easier to focus and get things done.

[Spectralist]

I love working from home. Largely because i hate dealing with people on a day to day basis. But also because i actually find it easier to work with the TV on. And i especially love being able to work whenever i feel like it since i have a hard time sleeping so am often awake at 3am and asleep at noon.

[Spectre of Pithecanthropus]

Technology has advanced to the point where many of the problems can be overcome. Where ten years ago there was just email and the phone, now we have real time chat, online meeting rooms, and videoconferencing. Almost anyone can afford a webcam, and then have online voice with video using Yahoo or Skype. In the same way, nearly all management concerns, I would think, can be addressed. If you're the boss and you need something from the employee, you can hail them via IM, and they're expected to respond, making reasonable allowances for them being away from their desk, or in meetings, or whatever--just as you would at the office. At my last job, Yahoo IM had become hugely popular as a tool for communication and collaboration, but even before this happened, it wasn't expected that I'd have to meet with the boss every day. In most large office environments I've seen, it's not as if the boss needs to be leaning on the employees every minute of the day. Instead, it often seems as if we telecommute from inside the same building.

For workers' concerns about motivation, those can be addressed by such things as maintaining a professional work area in your home, by getting dressed instead of staying in your pyjamas or bathrobe all day, and so on.

I've never had a job where I could routinely telecommute, but if I did, I think my preference would be to work at home three or four days a week and go in on the other days.

[even sven]

It's not just work-related social stuff. I need the "good mornings" and jokes about it being Friday and laughing at what the blow-hard a few desks over said about the debates. I like how my co-workers are often not people I'd hang out with normally- if it weren't for work I probably wouldn't know a ton of married people or middle aged women or busy executives. Even when we are all just working away not talking it still gratifies me to know there are other people around working, and I'm not just all locked up in my dungeon alone with some crappy spreadsheet or something.

For workers' concerns about motivation, those can be addressed by such things as maintaining a professional work area in your home, by getting dressed instead of staying in your pyjamas or bathrobe all day, and so on.

Yeah, but that all seems kind of...silly. I know in my head it's a good idea to get dressed and act professional, but I know in my heart I'm still hanging out at home fucking around on the computer all day. Heart wins over head every time.

[Digital Stimulus]

I like the social interaction at work.It's always seemed to me that this is the major determination of whether one likes working at home, followed by self-discipline. I'm a programmer; just about any interruption when I'm working sets me back at least 15 minutes to a half-hour (beyond the actual interruption itself). I don't feel any need nor desire for social interaction at work; it's simply a distraction. And what I do is in line with my non-work interests, so there's no question of discipline -- it's what I'd most often be doing anyway. I absolutely love working from home.

My wife, on the other hand, isn't like that. She likes a good level of social interaction at work, and is really good at filtering external distractions when necessary. Also, her self-discipline isn't so good; unless there's a hard deadline, there are usually other things to do that she finds more interesting.

[Cisco]

I agree with the OP. I'll just add that I don't like dressing up and going to the office and all that it entails, but I far prefer it to working from home. I never get anything done at home and I'm honest enough with myself to admit and acknowledge it. The few times I've actually gotten anything done while "working" from home have been late at night when something HAD to be done by the next day. It's why I never did great in school; I was full steam ahead in the classroom - paying attention, asking questions, doing classwork - but when I got home I just didn't give a damn. I never did homework.

[Enright3]

Yes, for all the reasons you've listed, and more:


The "social interaction" aspect isn't just that; nor is it just the "immediate feedback." Sometimes I need to ask people questions about their work, that I'm interacting with or building upon -- and it's a lot easier to do it by stepping over to their place and talking face-to-face, or inviting them over to take a look at my screen so they can understand what I mean. Email and even talking on the phone just don't cut it.

Remote Desktopping into my work machine just isn't as good as sitting in front of it -- I have a better monitor at work, and also the speed at which the screen refreshes for me at home is simply much slower than it is at my workstation (and I don't think it's my connection speed -- I have a relatively-slow-but-really-should-be-adequate-for the purpose 750 Kbps download speed at home.)


That said, I like having the option -- on days like today, where I had to spend all morning at home while workers installed new doors in all the rooms. Without the option, I would have had to take half a day off; this way I may have been 75% effective, but at least I got some work done. And didn't have to take time off for it*

So it's not all bad, as long as it's limited to specific cases where I just can't get in to work. I never stay to work at home just because I can, though!

* I'm salaried and will need to pick up the slack at some point anyway, so I'm not screwing my employer over. Believe me, they're getting more than 40 honest work hours a week out of me, in any case....

I second your entire post. I like having the option of working from home, but in general I like going to the office to (i work only three miles away). I like the people I work with, and it's easier to ask a question sometimes when the conversation is face to face. Plus I HAVE to go in to work when my wife is not on the road (She's a sales manager for a publishing company). Holy Cow working with her in the same room is impossible. Me: tappity tappity tap tap. Wife: [on phone]BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH [/on phone]

[Khadaji]

It has its pluses and minuses. Some days I like it better than others. Some days, like you, I am under motivated. Other days, I work liked a fiend. But that is true when I go to the office too.

What I like about it is, I can take a quick nap and get refreshed. That works well for me.

[lilflower]

I love working from home. It's awesome! I can get all my errands done, spend time with the kids, go running when I feel like it and close the door to my office if I need some privacy. I get so much more work done because no one bothers me. I can't stand all the chit-chatting and lunches and meetings and other time-wasting activities of being in an office. Plus, I can start work right when I wake up because I don't have to get ready or commute. I've been working from home for years now so I have a good routine and am disciplined about separating work from family. I do enjoy going to an office on occasion (I'm a consultant so I have to visit my client once in a while) if not just to remind me that I don't really like having to get dressed up, bring all my snacks with me (or else have to eat from a vending machine or go out for lunch). Also, I am much less likely to work late in an office - when it gets late, all I want to do is leave. But at home, I can still muster up some energy after dinner and after the kids have gone to bed to catch up on things. I wouldn't trade my home office for any other work situation (except of course not working at all because I suddenly became independently wealthy!).

[Shagnasty]

I don't like working from home although I am free to do so any given day that I feel like it. That is a rare occasion. My kids are home Monday and Friday and there is no way I am going to work with them around. Other people assume that you have the day off if you are home and that pisses me off. I am a systems analyst and I work in a building with 1300 coworkers. One reason I am so effective is that I never hesitate to walk away from my desk and grab someone to pull them into a conference room to sort out a problem immediately. Some of my dumber coworkers e-mail people a 1 minute walk away for days on end copying everyone they can think of including their elementary school babysitter. I won't do that.

I also have a docking station at work that turns my laptop into a full desktop setup with dual monitors. I don't trust people that work on laptops with small screens. They might as well be working on an Etch-a-Sketch as far as I am concerned. I am working on a nice setup at home but until then I don't think I can be productive at home so I generally don't do it.

[msmith537]

I really don't like it for long periods of time for basically the reasons you described. Sometimes it's nice though.

[matt_mcl]

I am a freelancer and find I am much more productive when I go out to do work, whether at the library or at the café up the street. For some reason I can concentrate better, even when it's not 100%.

[Rhythmdvl]

Another vote for ... oh, wait, wrong thread.

Count me in for loving working at home. A huuuugggggeeeeeeeee92 plus is my business partner -- Mrs. Dvl. We do editorial and design work, frequently on the same project. Many people are baffled when they learn how much time we spend together, but I wouldn't want to be stuck in an office with anyone else.

[MsWhatsit]

I am a freelancer and find I am much more productive when I go out to do work, whether at the library or at the café up the street. For some reason I can concentrate better, even when it's not 100%.

What he said. I didn't really enjoy my cubicle days, back when I was doing that, but I don't really like sitting on my couch with my laptop like a slob, either. I am much more productive and focused when I get out of the house and go somewhere else, usually a coffeeshop with free wifi.

I guess part of it is just that it's hard for me to focus on work when I know that I could be doing the laundry, the dishes, etc.

[jackdavinci]

I liked being able to make my own schedule, be my own boss, and work naked. And no meetings!! But I hated having to motivate myself, found it impossible not to read the straight dope all day, and hated dealing with billing and taxes and so forth. Also, I start to feel a little "out of touch".

[Magiver]

The few times I've worked from home, I've hated it.

I feel like a slob, sitting in front of my computer all day. I feel unmotivated in my own house. I spend all day wanting to do dumb stuff on the Internet, and often I do, meaning I end up having to work late in the night. I find it boring, lonely, uncomfortable and depressing.

I like the social interaction at work. I like how it gets me out and about. I like actually putting on decent clothes in the morning and having somewhere to go and something to do. I like eating lunch at local restaurants. I like having someone to provide instant feedback on what I'm doing. I like being able to go home and actually be home. I even like the commute.

Anyone else with me? As stated, no. If it's only a few times a year then I like the change. My last job was an hour drive each way and working at home was like getting 2 hours of my life back. A known snow day meant I could just roll out of bed at 9 and start a conference call instead of getting up at 6 and slogging to work. I could do the prep work the night before and just dive in. I could work 8 straight with no lunch and the day was done.

If I had the same job again I would push for 1 day a week at home.

[Kalhoun]

Ditto.


No ditto. I hate being in the office as much as I hate working from home.

I'm doomed.

Ever notice that people who work from home invariably send you e-mail at 1:30 am, as though to suggest they put in a full 14-hour day when they're at home? And they CC everybody right up to the CEO. That kills me.

I actually do put i 14 hour days, but I send emails at 4 or 4:30, when I first log on.

I miss the socializing at work, and I miss wearing cute clothes. WFH is something you need to adjust to. I've been doing it for a few years now, and productivity isn't a problem, but the isolation does get to me in the winter. I have SADD issues and have to work at staying engaged with people during the winter months. My head just kind of weirds me out after a while.

[Nava]

I can see the point re. the face to face when you actually have that option and so long as people know how to interrupt (stand nearby, hovering but not too badly, until the person you're interrupting acknowledges you). Labwork from the house isn't very doable (although my great-grandfather used to do just that).

But I've had several jobs where the people I needed to communicate with were, invariably, in another country. If I don't have any reason to speak with the people in the office other than "to be sociable," that's one time when I'd rather be at home and listen to music without the headphones!

Currently, my client-provided desktop has 1/4 the RAM of my personal-company-owned laptop; it has a bigger screen but less resolution (which I don't have permissions to change). I'm doing work in a HUGE process diagram, little pictures everywhere. If I use my laptop, I can see any view of the diagram complete, plus sidebars, and work all day without problems. If I use the desktop, I can't see the sidebars and the diagram at the same time; the program collapses every hour more or less. I'd LOVE to be able to work on the laptop!

[Jolly Roger]

I don't work from home, but I wish I did. :(

Though its a dream that may never come true I've always wanted to be a syndicated cartoonist. After my surgery last year when I was out for a month from work, I would get up early in the morning and hammer out a few strips. I found that if I get working 1st thing in the AM I get a lot more done. If I actually got paid a decent amount for doing that it would be a dream. I think I could concievably get a months worth of strips done in a week, and then have plenty of time off.

[Mama Zappa]

I have a good compromise: I work from home 3 days a week. I don't think I could do this in a more "active" phase of a project, as there's too much need for the old "pop over to the next cubicle and hash stuff out" early on, but our project is in maintenance mode now.

The downside: it *is* hard to get to a stopping point and put limits on work. Most of the time it isn't an issue (the project doesn't demand a lot of hours), but in crunch mode, it's too easy to take the tack that you'll log on just to do something quick, and all of a sudden it's 2 hours later and the kids are ready for bed and they haven't been fed yet...

The plus side: I can sleep until nearly 8, grab some breakfast, and be working productively at 8:40. I save a fortune in gas (now I'm only getting two tanksful a month if we don't do any longdistance driving). I have a lot more flexibility if I need to visit the dentist or something. I save wear and tear on my work clothes. I can get my kids working on their homework or a little housework.

I don't miss lunches out, then again I've always tended to just eat at my desk when I'm in the office.

[Velma]

This thread is interesting to me, as I am about to start working some hours from home. I don't think I would like to do it full-time either, but for now I am going to work 6-8 hours a week from home, with 3 days at the office. Right now I think ideally I would work about half and half, so we will see how this goes.

For me, it is nice to get out of the house. I go a little crazy when I am home all the time, like on maternity leave. But right now it makes sense to work some from home. I wanted to start an extra project that just didn't fit in my regular hours and job duties, but not commute a whole extra day, with added daycare costs and all that. So working from home makes my take home pay a whole lot higher because I am not taking out for daycare and gas, which is nice.

This project is something I can break up into small chunks of time as I get a chance, so hopefully it will be easy to work 2-3 hours at a time.

[msmith537]

I used to work from home a lot when I first moved to the City because a girder from the World Trade Center fell on our office. We had another office in Midtown but it wasn't big enough to hold everyone.

People used to get a kick out of me showing up to the office around noon to hang out for lunch and then head back home to work.

[Icarus]

Another vote for the OP. I have a motivation problem, I respond to external structure. I respond to socialization, competative challenge, and client needs. And, I need an audience.

I've been working from home for the last 6 months - with cats walking all over my stuff, kids home in the summer watching the tube and fighting and requiring attention. I don't have a separate office room so I'm right in the middle of it all. Gaaaaaaaa!

<fly>Help...me!</fly>

[Typo]

I love working from home. I'm pretty much a hermit-type and self-starter anyway, so it suits my personality well. Like others have said, the only real drawback is that it's sometimes hard to shut that office door and walk away.

[butler1850]

I'm not a fan of working from home.

1) The Butlerette (3yo) doesn't understand that Daddy needs to work, and can't play. I want to encourage play.
2) Daddy doesn't want to work, when he can play. (Online gaming, surfing, or playing with aforementioned Butlerette)
3) I have much better electronics, and workspace at the office.
4) My wife doesn't understand my griping from a technical standpoint. My co-workers do, and I've never figured out how to convey the same emotion via IM.

I'm the guy who comes in no matter what the weather, it works out well for me, and my team of colleagues.

I'll do it if I have to, but as I now have a wife who's at home taking care of the 3yo full time, she gets to be the one home dealing with contractors, and other small "at home" needs. She's better at it anyway.

[Prelude to Fascination]

I've never worked from home, but I'm certain that I'd be terrible at it. When I was a student I was awful at sitting down and getting stuff down. When I'm forced to be in an environment where I am expected to work, I find it much easier to focus and get things done.

I could've written this. I too have never worked from home, but I've thought about it often (I currently have a 40 minute drive each way to work), and decided I'd be miserable. For one thing, I still think "clothes make the man", so if I'm dressed like a slob, even if I'm working at my computer, I'll act like a slob. My job is business casual, but I can be professional at work.

At home, there are too many distractions--if it's a nice day, I'll look out the window, and want to be outside. If it's a crappy day, that'll drain my energy and I won't want to work. I may decide to do housework rather than work...sometimes even doing the dishes or cleaning a toilet is preferable. Maybe not often, but sometimes.

It's the same reason I don't have a home gym or any of the As Seen on TV home workout routines. I have to physically go to the gym in order to be productive.

[Cervaise]

I work from home two days a week. I am much, much more productive at home. I work more consistently, for longer hours, and get much more done. I can see why it's not for everyone, but for me it's fantastic. It's probably the #1 reason I have chosen not to accept any of the competing job offers, and stay with this job and company I don't really enjoy any more. Sounds counterintuitive, I know, but it makes sense in my head.

[control-z]

I don't like working at all, I'm not one of those people that would win the lottery and keep working. I'd retire.

But since I do have to work, I'm more productive in an office than at home. Way too many distractions at home.