Working from Home

[ed&arch]

Who does it and what are the pros and cons? What does your typical day look like and what industry are you in?
I’m currently in a high pressured job as a manager in a mixed vet practice but am thinking of a change to include more flexibility due to various reasons.

Would love to hear people’s thoughts.

 

[Wheels]

I would love to work from home but never found anything suitable that pays a good enough wage.

Would be interested in hearing what type of work you manage to find

 

[Muddywellies]

I do, and between you and me, I don’t have a desk to work at so I spend 8 hours a day on the sofa with my laptop. Oooops ! I much prefer it tho. No commute, time keeping, office politics etc etc. I can ride before work then be back home and logged on before 9. I look like I’ve been dragged through a hedge backwards but it doesn’t matter. I have far more flexibility and my work/life balance is better. I also have anxiety so this really does suit me. There are a few drawbacks. I’ve put on weight as I’m sedentary for so much of the day, bills have gone up, IT issues can be a pain and I’m not allowed to print from home so have to go to the office for that.
TBH I don’t really miss colleagues as we chat by email or on the phone. I have more control over my work - if I can’t be a&sed then I’ll watch telly, BUT I will have to catch up at some point. Today I’ve worked like a Trojan and done at least two days work but I may not feel so motivated tomorrow, so it evens itself out. I can’t think of a bigger waste of time and money making people work together in some horrible office somewhere. No, home working all the way for me !

 

[milliepops]

I work from home almost all the time. I work in healthcare management, in reality I'm fiddling around with spreadsheets most of the day.

Pros are the flexibility it gives, I can do a lot of flexi time which is a godsend with the horses. I usually start work earlier than I would do in an office, often before 7am, and can then take an extended lunch break or finish in the afternoon. I like not having to wear office clothes or do loads of ironing to look presentable 🤣 less driving & no commute means more free time and less wear on the car.

Cons are I am never really off work. Not just the hours, but weekends and annual leave all get interrupted. I don't have a home office and the whole team works funny hours so I'm often working on something or replying to emails in the evenings. It took me a while to get into the routine and not feel isolated. I find it quite easy to stay motivated because of the nature of my role and the workload but I know some people find that hard going at times.

I would hate to work in an office now.

 

[ed&arch]

I do, and between you and me, I don’t have a desk to work at so I spend 8 hours a day on the sofa with my laptop. Oooops ! I much prefer it tho. No commute, time keeping, office politics etc etc. I can ride before work then be back home and logged on before 9. I look like I’ve been dragged through a hedge backwards but it doesn’t matter. I have far more flexibility and my work/life balance is better. I also have anxiety so this really does suit me. There are a few drawbacks. I’ve put on weight as I’m sedentary for so much of the day, bills have gone up, IT issues can be a pain and I’m not allowed to print from home so have to go to the office for that.
TBH I don’t really miss colleagues as we chat by email or on the phone. I have more control over my work - if I can’t be a&sed then I’ll watch telly, BUT I will have to catch up at some point. Today I’ve worked like a Trojan and done at least two days work but I may not feel so motivated tomorrow, so it evens itself out. I can’t think of a bigger waste of time and money making people work together in some horrible office somewhere. No, home working all the way for me !

Thank you for this - what industry is this in if you don’t mind me asking? How long have you been Working from Home?

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

I enjoyed it for a day a week or so, but found it very isolating for anything more than that.
Make sure you have an excellent internet connection as a very first step, otherwise it's a complete no-go as you'll have no end of problems, nothing will load, and you'll wish you'd never done it

 

[Muddywellies]

Thank you for this - what industry is this in if you don’t mind me asking? How long have you been Working from Home?

Sorry, yes I’m a project officer for the local authority. Been working from home for the last couple of years now and I would honestly struggle to work in an office again.

 

[sherry90]

I predominantly work from home - I’m regionally based so can be out a few days a week travelling (but very limited overnight stays)

I love my WFH days - as muddywellies says you have some days where you will do loads of work (over and above) but others where you have a slower day. I usually work 8-4 so I can be at the yard for 4:15 and ride and home before 6 to have tea which is much more sociable than when I did office work. In an office I finished at 5 with a 45 min commute, had to change to ride and then wouldn’t be home until 7/8 which made me lack a lot of motivation.

I was on DIY and it helped then as I could go before work and not worry about stinking the office out and similarly the yard was minutes from home so I popped down on my lunch. I’m now in full livery for other reasons but still love the lack of commute.

Of course, my travel days can mean I am not home til late especially if I get delayed trains or stuck on motorways. I just use those days as his days off. We school weekdays x2 or 3 max then hack at weekends. He has two days off approx a week.

I love working from home for the flexibility and autonomy but you do have to be self motivated.

 

[Pippity]

I go into the office for a couple of days once a month, and I do on-site visits to factories/warehouses for a couple of days once a month, but other than that, I work from home. I do find it isolating, and am more inclined to linger and chat at the yard because of it. I also have to focus on being disciplined with my time - there is Work Time and there is Home Time, and it's very easy to let them merge.

I'm a network consultant, but I think a lot of industries are introducing telecommuting as an option nowadays. My previous employer had everybody work from home two or three days a week, because it reduced how much office space they had to rent, and that seems to be becoming more common.

 

[ycbm]

I worked from home as a self employed marketing systems consultant.

You have to be self motivated and get the work done even if you don't feel like it. There may be unexpected costs in heating the house, or at least one room in it, though you may be able to claim that as a business expense (take care thst doesn't affect your rates). I missed the social interaction dreadfully.

If you're thinking of being self employed, don't forget that your fees need to include holiday pay, sick pay, and both employee and employer pension contributions.

.

 

[blitznbobs]

I think you need a lot of self discipline.. I’m not sure I could do it... I’d be like ‘I’ll just stick a wash on’ and ‘I’ll just fill a few haynets but while I’m here I’ll just muck out’ and ‘I’ll just watch*insert daytime soap*(I don’t know any cos I’m never in)’ so I admire people, who work from home and actually get some work done!

 

[Muddywellies]

I think you need a lot of self discipline.. I’m not sure I could do it... I’d be like ‘I’ll just stick a wash on’ and ‘I’ll just fill a few haynets but while I’m here I’ll just muck out’ and ‘I’ll just watch*insert daytime soap*(I don’t know any cos I’m never in)’ so I admire people, who work from home and actually get some work done!

im not the worlds most motivated person but you do have to get through your work as your boss would soon be after you if you slacked too much. You can just pick and choose when you’re productive when working at home. But you really don’t need to be particularly disciplined.

 

[SpottyMare]

I work in IT as a manager and work from home 2 days a week. While I love working from home, I feel I have to go into the office a couple of days a week so I'm 'present' for my direct reports who are there, although the majority of their teams are offshore. We use skype a lot, which does have video call capability, although i tend not to as I'm usually still dressed from the yard. Pros are that I don't have the 3.5 hr commute to the office, I can arrange my time how I like (meetings permitting), I can organise the animals (vet/farrier etc), my dogs aren't left all day, I can wear what I want and I don't have to deal with the noise of a large open plan office which I really struggle with. I'm also incredibly anti social so like the peace. Cons are missing the personal interaction with my direct reports, as I can see more of how they're doing/if they're stressed or anything when I'm there. They're also more likely to come and just perch on my desk to ask stuff, rather then skype me. My boss has said it would be possible for me to be a full time home worker, but I don't think it would be fair on my team. He has also said that providing the work gets done, he doesn't really care when I do it. In fact, I find that I'm much more productive at home.

You do have to give yourself work and home time, so planning and organising yourself is essential - not to the last detail, but to have a rough plan as to how your day will go, otherwise it's easy to expand work into the evening. I also have to ensure I have the odd break - I have been known to sit at the PC for 8 hours straight without getting up. Also having a designated work space helps - mine's nothing formal, just a table in the dining room but the work doesn't move out of there. I don't really heat the house any more than I would if I wasn't there, I just put extra fleeces on

If I was still in a more solitary technical role, I'd happily work from home full time!

 

[chaps89]

I WFH 2 days a week, in the office the other 3.
I try and keep roughly to my office hours (10-6) but that doesn't always happen.
My boss knows I like the flexibility it gives me for pony time and so long as I mark in the diary when I'm unavailable and make the hours up he's cool.
I also ensure that even if I'm not at my laptop then I have my work mobile on me so I'm still contactable if needsbe.
It means I often do long days - it's not unheard of for me to log in at 6 before going to the yard and/or still be working at 9pm, but I won't have worked solidly through those hours.
I still get far far more work done at home than I do in the office.
It also saves me about 40-45 miles travelling a day, always a bonus!

It isn't for everyone - I am suitably anti social that I could do it most days, but my boss for example hates it and only does it on days where he has contracts to work on and so on that require a bit more attention/peace and quiet.

And as above, you definitely need good internet!
Also think about the extra costs at home - heating on in the day in winter when it might otherwise be off if you were out in the office, lights being on, laptop and printer being stored etc.

Eta - I work in insurance (on paper my job title is account manager, in reality I'm more of a technical co-ordinator/change analyst). Funnily enough is love to work in the veterinary industry although I know it is a hard slog!

 

[milliepops]

Tbf the horses are great for adding structure to my day. Colleagues of mine do work right through to the evening but I *have* to leave the house to see to them so I always get a break even if I end up going back to it later.

 

[throughtheforest]

I only work from home once a week or so maximum as my job requires me to see people that live quite a distance away. I would find it difficult to work at home all the time, because of feeling isolated and the needing to switch off mentally part, however I am looking to develop my career in a particular exciting equine related direction which would mean I am not in the office or at home but with my horse instead! I work as a Social Worker in a Local Authority and I am looking to be a fully trained and *qualified* Equine Psychotherapist and Independent Mediator.

 

[meleeka]

I work from home running Oh’s business while he’s out doing the work. I have a log cabin in the garden which gives me plenty of office space and means I can keep it all fairly separate.

I’d agree with the pros and cons as above. The flexibility is great but I do find I have to have a loose routine and I try not to make a habit of working after 5pm. Obviously if I’ve been busy with the horses during the day I can catch up in the evening.

I did rent an office for a while but found that more inconvenient than being at home. At home I have my dog with me and my radio on and can take a break to make a cuppa and put a load of washing on if needed. Obviously as it’s our business I never really switch off anyway but It’s good to have the office at home so that I can quickly access things without having to wait until the morning. I’m a bit of a worrier so I’d end up driving to the office before just to answer an urgent email at 7pm.

Working with people in close proximity that I may not actually like would drive me crazy, as would having to be at work by a certain time, so I think I’m perfectly suited to working from home 😀

 

[thommackintosh]

I work in HR for a broadcaster and work from home 4/5 days a week with the odd day down in London to see the rest of my team. (I'm one of only two of us based north of the border).

Pros, I'm an early bird, so the time I'd usually spend commuting I can spend working, therefore I can finish earlier. I live really close to the yard where I have Harry so I can nip down at lunchtime to walk the dog, do stable chores, give him a cuddle, pop something in the slow cooker and be back at my desk within the hour. And another massive pro = No rush hour traffic!

Cons, I sometimes miss out on the office joy, though my team has a video call every morning at 8:45 every morning so I still feel connected. Though, unless I make a concerted effort it's all to easy to miss the interesting and useful info, that you'd stumble over just by sitting across a desk from someone.

Would I want to go back to being office-bound? Not a chance.

 

[Lady Jane]

WFH is great but not full time as I like to see people and face to face is much easier for a tricky conversation. I ended up able to WFH maybe 50% and went to see people the other days. I loved not having to commute and that saved me 2-4 hours/day but felt guilty knocking off early because I was as home or taking a lunch break. If you can ride at lunchtime, before work or finish early to ride after its great. And even if you can't at least you don't have travel stress. I was in IT and could do many meetings by VC, If I had a horse crisis I had no problem declaring a WFH day and needing out time for the vet. I confess I had a work/life balance problem. No more - I have retired!!!!!

 

[Trinket12]

I usually work from home two days a week, everything I do can be done via email and phone.

I’m on the West Coast of Canada and support managers mainly on the East Coast which is 3 hours in front of me. So today, I was online early for meetings, and that meant I could head down to the barn early afternoon (when it’s pretty quiet). Had a little tootle on her ladyship and then home to make tea!
I have a lot of flexibility and autonomy with my company, which now I have a horse of my own is very handy!

 

[babymare]

I'm a buyer for IT and work from home 5 days a week. I love it. No commute to and from work. No having to get dressed up for office and no interruptions of people coming to desk. You have to stay in work mode and not slack or go off doing stuff round house and I work longer hours than if in the office but worth every it. It would be a 2 hour round trip(on a good day) for me to go to office so I save on petrol to. Love it 😁

 

[ihatework]

I work in drug development which is primarily home based. I love the flexibility it gives and the time saved from commuting. I do think you need a dedicated office area and need to be quite disciplined, previously I had a spare bedroom dedicated office and still struggled. Now I rent a shared office space on a converted farm a couple of miles away, I can take the dogs in and it works better for me mentally being away from home, seeing other people yet still retaining the flexibility.

 

[jcloud]

I wasn’t an advocate of working from home when my company changed its policy. I felt isolated, missed casual chats with colleagues (which really does help build rapport) and I kept getting lumbered with more work as I kept going in whilst everyone was at home.

Now, I work from home 3-4 days a week and only go in for meetings or sometimes just for my own sanity, and I love it! It just took some time getting used to. As others have said, the flexibility is great and it really does aid work/life balance.

My work is quite fast paced, so I don’t really get much down time when I am working, but I’m strict in turning the laptop off when I’m done and not touching it at the weekend (unless super urgent).

As for the role, I’m a Risk Manager within professional services.

 

[Sasana Skye]

I'm in the civil service, we can work from home 2x per week but there are quite a few restrictions on it as obviously we handle public and government information. I previously worked as an operations manager in corporate banking and we could set up home working too but I rarely used it as I was in meetings so much and preferred to be on site for them rather than dial/skype in. I really like WFH, it gives me more time to myself in the evenings because I can stick washing/dishwasher on while working which are errands I would usually do in the evenings or weekends. It is harder when you need to print / post things though and I would find it lonely doing it everyday and really enjoy being around my team, but 2 days a week is a nice balance.

 

[Myloubylou]

I work for a tech company as a marketing implementation consultant so I am either working remotely ie from home or at client offices. I go into our office once or twice a month as is about 2.5 hrs away. I am fully set up with desk, monitor, mobile phone, WiFi so can do most remotely but still need time in front of the client. Pros are work/life balance generally works in my favour & I don’t have commute costs as travel expenses are charged to the customer. Cons are when you are working remotely it is isolating. We have collaboration tools but not the same as being in a office.

 

[Littlebear]

I work from home (finance) and have a child so it allows me to do school runs. I love the flexibility as I can do early mornings and late eves and go and ride in the day if I like if time allows.
It’s very isolating though and I have felt very lonely at times.
You have to be very self motivated but overall I wouldn’t be able to manage the horses and child so easily without wfh.

 

[awelshandawarmblood]

Oh what I'd do to work from home! Stuck with a 40 min commute each way with 12hr day & night shifts - zero flexibility.

 

[Michen]

I technically work from home in a high pressured role (sales), mixing it up with some office days and travel to meetings all over the uk when needed. Totally variable, this week I’m home 3 days a week but next week only one.

I love it, often work from the sofa, means I can get all my horsey appointments sorted etc. I can’t imagine ever doing a 9-5 office job (nor have I ever done one).

Social aspect is fine, I often see my colleagues at meetings or whatnot and we have plenty of socials. I like to keep work and social life very separate anyway!

 

[scats]

Soon to be working from home- my dog grooming salon is underway in my garage!

 

[BlackRider]

I work from home and love it, I'm a technical author and write software guides.

I'm also quite anti social so happy not to interact with colleagues.

I do have a room which is my office, and then shut the door when finished working. The downside is I think you end up working longer as its easier to think, well if I work on Sunday I'll get X,Y & Z finished.