More and more people are working from home, if not as full-time telecommuters, then at least some of the time. Telecommuting offers numerous benefits for employers, not just teleworkers themselves. On the flip side, working from home isn't all rainbows and unicorns. Being a content writer at the business plan writing service I’d like to present some of the biggest disadvantages and challenges to working from home--and what you can do about it.
Note: If your biggest obstacle to working from home is getting your boss to let you do it or finding a work-from-home job, we can overcome that hurdle too.
Children, Family, and Pets Demand Your Attention or Disturb You
The problem: In a survey of over 95,000 people in 95 countries, flexible office space rental company Regis found that the number one issue people have when working from home involves children, other family members, and pets. The biggest hurdle, 59% of respondents said, was children or family demanding attention; 39% said children, family, and pets disturbing work phone calls; and 12% said pets demanding attention. So the dog barking or cat on your keyboard, your kid crawling onto your lap, and your spouse interrupting you throughout the day is your very real, biggest threats to work-at-home productivity.
The solution: There's no real easy solution to this common problem because it's natural for your family members to think that when you're at home, you're accessible to them. The best thing you can do is carve out a separate workspace, if you haven't already (working on the living room couch is a recipe for disaster), and establish clear rules about when you can or can't be contacted. For example, close your home office door as a sign you're busy. Also, schedule work calls and video conferences for the times your family is least likely to need you, warn your family when you're going to need to be on a call, and use that mute button on your phone liberally. If you have others in your household, working from home may need to be a team effort for it to work.
Also, if you work from home with young children, make sure they're appropriately occupied or consider in-home or outside childcare options.
It’s Distracting to Work From Home
The problem: Besides people and pets, your home might be booby-trapped with all sorts of other distractions--including your TV, refrigerator, bed, and other home comforts. Also, since no one's looking over your shoulder, you need to be even more motivated and self-sufficient than when you are at the office to keep on track and not slack off. Noises and interruptions such as mail deliveries, your neighbor's gardening service, and traffic on your block can also trip you up.
The solution: Know your enemy. While it's okay--and even helpful--to take regular work breaks, the rest of the time, you need to stay focused. A few distraction-free web apps can help which limits your time on distracting sites like Facebook or Wikipedia Facebook. You can also try setting up--and keeping to-- a firm schedule, blocking out your work hours into 90-minute or 25-minute spurts with 5-minute breaks.
Finally, if worst comes to worst, it might be productive for you to work from your "third place" (e.g., a coffee shop, bookstore, or library).
You Don’t Have Access to Office Files
The problem: Argh. you're working from home for the day and all of the sudden realize you don't have access to that important file left on your work computer.
The solution: Hopefully, your company set up remote access for you, for example, a VPN service or a remote access tool such as GoToMyPC or LogMeIn so you can connect to your work machine or company server from home. In the future, one of these tools or online storage and syncing service can help ensure you have your important work files when you need them. (And if these aren't an option for you, instead of emailing yourself files, you could try a file transfer tool for sending huge files to yourself or others for free.
Your Home Internet Connection Is Too Slow
The problem: It's no fun working from home when your internet connection stinks. Unfortunately, chances are you are your tech support when it comes to troubleshooting that poor internet connection.
The solution: First, make sure you have broadband internet service at home. It's one of the few tech requirements for mobile work. If you're not getting broadband speeds at home, however, you'll want to test your internet access speed and try a few tricks for improving it.
You Don’t Have a Good Work Area at Home
The problem: The only place to work is your kitchen counter or the living room couch, which ends up contributing to issues 1 and 2 above--not to mention an aching back.
The solution: You don't need a dedicated work area at home, but you should have one that doesn't hurt you. If you only have a little space, a laptop and a mobile laptop stand can provide the sturdy work area you need. Some of those computer stands can be adjusted as standing desks.
About the author: Nicholas H. Parker is an essay writer at BuyEssayClub. He used to manage the content team at the company he worked for. Currently, Nicholas writes articles to share his knowledge with others and obtain new skills. Besides, he is highly interested in the web design sphere.
