After adjusting to remote work, many companies have decided to go full-remote, however, others are slowly returning to the office. Whether you like working from home or not, you might have to consider if it’s still right for you.
Not having to commute and saving money are only some of the benefits of working from home. But working remotely also has its downsides, like for example loneliness and potential security issues on your home network. Here are some pros and cons to consider before committing to remote work:
Pros:
- Spend Less on Clothing
Working in an office often requires a dress code, clothing items like suits, ties and dresses can come at a high cost. Performing a job remotely, most of the time does not require you to wear formal clothing. Therefore, it can save you hundreds of dollars since you don’t have to regularly buy clothing and take them to laundry services.
- Save on Commute
Americans can spend from $2,000 to $5,000 on transportation alone each year. Since the average commute ranges from 5 to 13 miles each way, many trips to get gas is necessary to get to work. These expenses can accumulate over time, so working from home can save you a big amount of money.
- Increased Productivity
From not only saving energy from commuting to work but also from spending time with loved ones, many workers have enjoyed working from home. As a matter of fact, 65% of workers have felt more productive due to working remotely.
Cons
- Costs to Start
You might want to create a home office spot that mimics the one in your office to help you focus on your work. In order to do that, you will need a good setup in order to be more productive. That can include getting an extra monitor, a new desk and chair, and those don’t come at a low cost. On top of that, security is another item that you’ll have to pay for and make sure you get the highest level you can afford.
- Can be lonely
Having to talk to your peers through chats and video calls might be a challenge. Communicating through the internet it’s not the same as being able to walk to someone’s desk at work. In addition to that, loneliness was reported as the biggest struggle of working from home, since workers don’t have enough face-to-face conversations with their coworkers.
- Likely to Overwork
Since your home also becomes your office, there’s an increased likelihood of overworking. Breaking the habit of checking your work email during off-duty hours while working remotely can be difficult. Many face work-related stress from working at home, and overworking is a common result of that.
If you need help deciding if working from home is right for you, Mint’s infographic below has a flowchart to help you figure it out, as well as more pros and cons of remote work:
Please include attribution to https://mint.intuit.com/ with this graphic.
Also published on Medium.
