Over at Panasonic Youth they have a post today about five myths of working from home. Here’s my take on their comments:
- Oh, you must watch your kids/pets/tv/chia pet all day, then, right? Sadly, this myth gets perpetuated by folks who abuse the act of working at home. My favorite line that I see all the time is “My kid is sick so I’m working from home today.” Huh? Are you working, or are you taking care of your kid?
- You have less distractions. Perhaps. As they note, working at home simply has a different set of distractions than working at the office. I actually think I have more distractions at home, which is one of the reasons why I don’t try to do it too often.
- You can work whenever you want. Perhaps. However, probably not. My company has a ton of meetings and I need to be in them whether it’s at the office or dialed in from home. My family has expectations as well that I’ll spend time with my wife and daughter in the evenings and on weekends. Unless you’re single, have no life, and get to dictate your entire work schedule, you probably don’t have that much more flexibility than when you’re in the office.
- You can save a ton on tax deductions! As they point out, not really. Where you can really save is in gas money and commuting time. Depending on your commute that could be a couple hours a day and hundreds of dollars a month.
Working from home can be beneficial in some circumstances but it’s not always paradise.
