work from home

**Mikey Metalhead** · 08.15.06, 07:53 AM

My company is trying a 90 trial of work from home for two days a week.

something I never thought I would see for this size company.

I am a computer geek for an IT shop of about 400. we service 13 hospitals with about 15000 employees.

I get to work from home on Tuesday and Friday. The 3 main reasons noted for doing this.
1. stay competative for hiring (IT has a lot of work at home opportunities)
2. gas prices
3. you get alot of your busy work done.

be interesting to see how it plays out.

**Pabs** · 08.15.06, 08:18 AM

I did it for a year, and although I loved the freedom, I couldn't stay motivated to get my shit done.

It's probably better 2 days a week, but not 5.

**billy007** · 08.15.06, 08:18 AM

It's got it's good points and it's bad points. I do computer support from home, and while I like the idea of not having to go anywhere, there are some drawbacks:

I: we are having some financial shortfalls, and I think it affects me more, because when the weekend comes, I'd like to be able to go anywhere but here after being in this house all week. But since I have three kids who don't think you can have fun unless you're spending gobs of cash (which we don't have) or sitting in front of a video screen all day (which I don't let them do), and gas prices are what they are, I basically feel housebound 7 days a week now.

II: some days I just have no motivation. If I was in an office somewhere, that wouldn't fly. Here I take naps. Not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing!

III: when my wife and/or kids (or visiting relative) are home, I don't get nearly as much done, whether they are attempting to interact with me or not

But, working from home does give me the opportunity to help our west coast properties more at hours when I would be gone from a traditional office. Sometime it's just returning an email with advice/instructions, other times if I'm not involved in anything, I'll call them up and fix the problem at 7 or 8 at night or on a weekend (which then makes me feel better about numbers II & III). Also, when I do get in a good thinking mode, I don't get the distractions I would get in a normal office.

Overall, I do think it's better than working out of the office (especially since the office is three hours away) and I'll probably do it as long as they let me.

**Junior** · 08.15.06, 08:24 AM

It's a pretty sweet deal man. I too get to work from home. Last month my company just sent all of us home to work full time. The perks:

1.) Save a pantload on gas

2.) Break on my car insurance since I'm not driving to and from work every day (just a small break but a break none the less.

3.) They pay for my internet.

4.) They pay for my phone. (home and cell)

5.) I can write off some of my bills and rent as a business expense.

6.) 2 words....No - Pants.

I'm worried about becoming a hermit though. I do't have to get dressed in the morning. I don't have to shave. I don't have to socialize really.

**leroy** · 08.15.06, 09:32 AM

I'm in IT and its a good option to WFH at times - saves me petrol, lunch money, coffee etc but i spend most of my time dicking around and get bored not seeing people. Also when the wifes at home she thinks i can do jobs round the house etc.....

**BottomzUp** · 08.15.06, 09:41 AM

Originally Posted by billy007

I: we are having some financial shortfalls, and I think it affects me more, because when the weekend comes, I'd like to be able to go anywhere but here after being in this house all week. But since I have three kids who don't think you can have fun unless you're spending gobs of cash (which we don't have) or sitting in front of a video screen all day (which I don't let them do), and gas prices are what they are, I basically feel housebound 7 days a week now.

That shit cracked me up! I hear ya' Billy about the kids especially! Right now since it's hot as ballz down here they want to be vegging or spending and both activities are inside.

**Raldo** · 08.15.06, 09:58 AM

I do an afternoon or two at home and it works pretty well for me. I guess it all depends on your job and if you can self-motivate yourself.

**Pabs** · 08.15.06, 10:16 AM

Yeah doing IT at home is ok when you have all the remote tools necessary to get the job done, but you definitely miss that social interaction. Boredom happens very frequently.

**mistere** · 08.15.06, 10:22 AM

I'm afforded the luxury sometimes, but it can be hard. I live just off the
boardwalk in Venice Beach - good for a quick break to catch a few rays and
some eye candy, but bad in that it's too easy to take a lot of 'breaks' - like
if a friend pops by or there's something happening outside.

Thing is, I tend to work less during the week when the beaches are less
crowded, and then on Saturday, everyone who comes in wants to know why
I'm glued to the computer and not out drinking with everybody else. So I say
"priorities, man" and act like I have all my shit together.

Oh - and my cell phone reception sux down here, so if I have to call tech
support or a client or something, THAT can be EXTREMELY frustrating.

**jetguy5150** · 08.15.06, 10:38 AM

I work in sales and can pretty much work from anywhere so I try to work from home atleast once a week. Well, not so much anymore. My challenge is convincing my wife and 3 year old son that I am "WORKING FROM HOME" and not just "HOME!!!" My wife would assume I could watch my son while she went to the mall and my son always wanted me to play with him and his GeoTrax (which I always did!

) It turned out not to be the most efficient place for me to get anything done.

**Mikey Metalhead** · 08.15.06, 11:14 AM

it helps that I am single and that my daughter is a senior in high school.

one of the stipulations was that if you use day care, you must still take the kids to day care. we do a lot of meetings and conference calls and this must be invisble to our customers and vendors.

**ZeoBandit** · 08.15.06, 11:48 AM

I am not a big fan of working from home. I find my productivity goes way down, either by watching TV or taking naps, and response time is not as good. I only live 5 miles from work, so it is faster to just go to work.

On the other hand, when I am on call and get paged in the middle of the night, nothing beats home access!

**MikeL** · 08.15.06, 11:49 AM

Every now and then I'll work from home. I've got better computers at home than I have at work, so at times it means that I simply can't do my work at the office. Distractions can be difficult to ignore while at home. I really do miss my co-workers, too. E-mail and the phone work, but you can't get all of the information that you do in person. If I work at home for any extended period of time, I spend too much time BSing when I finally do get back in the office.

**graeme** · 08.15.06, 12:17 PM

Can't believe this topic just came up since it's been on my mind for a couple of days.
I teach English to foreign students and have decided to stay in the UK for another year. Problem is that the work drops off from late November to late January so I was thinking to get through the winter I might do some online stuff.
I'd be interested to see what others think of this type of work. Sounds like a snooze fest so far, coupled with a little "I've got my shit together" pretence.
I used to teach guitar from home but at least then I wasn't "hermitised". At present no girlfriend so I guess it could drive me insane. Shall see.

**MikeL** · 08.15.06, 12:21 PM

One of the groups I work with runs an online high school. They've got staff spread out across the world, which makes it difficult to do telephone conferences. They all really love teaching online. The ones I know well have a traditional teaching background, and have found that they get to know their students a bit better online. That's kind of surprising!

There have been some teachers for which the whole work at home thing hasn't gone well. If you can try it for just a couple of months, what do you have to lose?