Top Three Drawbacks of Working from Home – for Individuals

Working from Home or telecommuting can have drawbacks both for the individual as well as for the company.

Here is a list of the top three drawbacks for individuals:

1. Overwork

If extra hours of work translate into more money, people have a tendency to overwork. Spending time with the family cannot be reduced to mere proximity. It requires time spent in family interactions. If working from home actually means more work, then the very activity that was meant to create more family time will prevent you from spending more quality time with your family.

2. Interruptions

Quality work output requires an environment where a worker won't be constantly disturbed with concerns not related to his task. Such a work environment is difficult to obtain in a home setting. It is difficult to ignore your baby crying or your older kids creating a ruckus in an adjacent room. Besides, there may be constant interruptions from service providers (mail, FedEx, home repair).

3. Social Isolation

An office environment naturally lends itself to social interactions. When working from home, people miss the camaraderie and regular face-to-face interactions with their peers. Home workers also lose the opportunity for informal, work related discussions as one might get, for example, in a staff cafeteria at lunchtime.
 

When making your decision, take into consideration these and other drawbacks. Weigh them against the advantages. Once you have weighed the pros and cons, you will be in a better position to decide whether working from home will work out for you.

Use the Comments section below to share your tips, views, or experiences with other dads.