Career clinic: The pros and cons of working from home

By at home

careerclinic1As companies cut overheads and commuting costs rise, more people are spending time working from home. If you’re thinking about setting up office from the comfort of your own home, make sure you’re in the know about the potential drawbacks and advantages – we’ve spoken to our experts at Viking, the direct mail and e-commerce channel of Office Depot, a leading global provider of office supplies and solutions to get the low-down!

According to the National Office of Statistics, the number of people working from home rose by 1.2 million, from 2.3 million in 1997 to 3.5 million in 2010.  And there are many reasons why an increasing number of us are choosing to set up work-at-home businesses; some of us need to be with the children, some of us want more flexible hours and some of us want to save on office rent.

If you’re considering moving from the office to the home, we’ve put together a list of pros and cons to help you weigh up your options.

Working from home: The pros

  • More time with the kids: Working from home allows you to cut down on childcare costs and spend more time with the little ones, ensuring you can be there to monitor their progress and provide them with support and guidance as they grow up.
  • No more commuting: Hate overcrowded tubes, delayed trains and rush hour traffic? Setting up office in the home means you won’t have to commute to get to work, meaning you’ll save time and money!
  • Savings in workwear: Suit jackets, blouses, and tailored trousers can certainly be expensive, but working from home will mean you won’t have to splash your cash on formal workwear. Wearing comfortable, casual clothes at home could even improve your work productivity – you can even work in your pyjamas!
  • Savings in office rent: If you have a separate office of our own and do not work for another company, moving to the home can mean a huge saving in office rent.
  • Tax relief: If you volunteer to or employed to work from home  you may be able to get tax relief on some of your household expenses. For more information, read up on Directgov’s tax relief guidelines.
  • Flexibility: Being your own boss means you can schedule your own hours and fit work around your life.

Working from home: The cons

  • Slips in self-motivation: Since there is no pressure to start work at a certain time, it can require a lot of self-discipline to motivate yourself to get cracking with the day. Productivity can seriously decrease if self-motivation isn’t maintained.
  • Lack of human interaction: Working from home means you miss out on the camaraderie and competitive spirit that stems from having an office full of colleagues. Similarly, going to the office can be a great way to away from home, but if you work from home there may be no escaping the stress.
  • Overworking: As absurd as it may sound, having an office in the home could mean that you find yourself knee-deep in work at 2 o’clock in the morning, especially if you’re worrying about certain tasks and jobs.

About out experts
Viking, has all the inspiration your office needs, from their catalogues to every product on their website, you’ll find Viking an innovative, inspiring and enjoyable way to shop for all things, big and small, that help smooth your working day. As well as offering superb quality and value, everything’s presented to help you find the products that best suit your needs, quickly and easily, even if time is tight.  For more information visit www.viking-direct.co.uk, www.facebook.com/vikingworld or visit www.twitter.com/viking_chat.


 Image: Thomas Goos/DPA/Press Association Images

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