Working From Home VS Working In The Office. What Works For You?
Haseeb Jangda- January 25, 2022
Working From Home vs Work
With work-life and culture changing so rapidly, the way we see going to work is changing as well. Home is becoming more of a normal job site location, and with that comes new benefits and potential challenges. So, if you’re looking for a new job, let’s compare the two and figure out what works best for you.
BENEFITS OF GOING TO WORK
Faster Response Times and Problem
Being in the office means if you have a problem that requires someone else to help, you can just talk to the person next to you or walk a few feet
to ask someone. You can get your questions answered faster and if there’s any follow-up, you’d get a response within seconds.
Networking Opportunities
A quick response time leads to the next benefit, networking. Networking can be essential to certain jobs; a lot of networking conversations are done in person and can be in the spur of
the moment. The office can bring a slew of opportunities to both established employees
and new ones, including meeting with colleagues who can possibly help you in advancing your career.
Team Atmosphere
Working in an office setting can bring on developing friendships and a sense of teamwork when tackling a big project. You can understand how your coworkers operate and build your own workflows to make the project process easier.
DRAWBACKS OF GOING TO THE OFFICE
Inactive Lifestyle
Most office jobs require you to sit at a desk
for up to 8 hours (sometimes more than that)
on weekdays. Sitting for long periods can be
a detriment to your health after some time, and at the end of the day, you might be too tired to work out. However, this can be helped with occasionally getting up and walking around as much as you can.
More Expensive
With the cost of commuting by bus or car
and getting takeout for lunch, expenses can add up. Food and gas could be $10 here or $20 there for a few days, it could make a big difference from working from home. Half of this could be taken care of by cooking food and bringing it for lunch.
BENEFITS OF WORKING FROM HOME
Increased Productivity
Now, this just depends on the person, but research shows that 16,000 people who
work from home found that their productivity increased by 13% over 9 months. (Please cite this source) Things like noise interruptions, office politics, and other possible disruptions are eliminated by working where you live.
Saves Money
A previous problem that working in the
office caused is solved by working from
home. Driving the work and grabbing food from restaurants are significantly cut down.
It’ll be easier to snack on the food you already have and only use gas when you need it outside of work.
DRAWBACKS OF WORKING FROM HOME
No Social Interaction
Humans are a naturally social species (as we’ve seen with the pandemic) and staying
in one building all day can mess with a person emotionally. 45% of workers report that they have felt isolated and lonely since working from home, compared to 25% of office workers feeling this way. (Please cite this source) (Also, please mention depression in this section)
Boundary Issues
Like a new boyfriend/girlfriend that sleeps
over every night, boundaries can be a real issue working from home. When those two worlds collide it’s easy to work over your 8 hours, feeling like you can’t take a step back from work. Having a consistent spot to work
at can help alleviate those feelings.
Now that we’ve gone over some of the benefits and drawbacks of each option, figure out what you prioritize more in the long run and choose at your discretion.