Why It’s a Great Idea to Work From Home

While some might say that telecommuting is the absolute worst, there are plenty of employees (and employers) who love it. Not everything wonderful about working from home involves your pajamas, but let’s start there, shall we?

(Photo Credit: DDFic/Flickr) 

1. You can work in your pajamas!

This is kind of the most important perk for some people. Not only can you be comfortable sans dress code in your own house, it’s cheaper, too! You won’t have to spend all your hard-earned cash on business casual this and that. Heels that destroy your feet? Forget ’em! Makeup? Only if you feel like it! Shower? You should probably still shower. Don’t be an animal. But seriously, if you feel physically relaxed and at ease while working in your sweats, your brain will respond better, even when work is hectic.

2. You’ll meet new people

What’s this? You’re working from home, how are you going to meet anyone. Well my friend, there’s a thing known as a local economy and when you’re working in your own neighborhood, you’re a part of it! You might you get to know your regular service personnel like your UPS person, your mail carrier, or even your neighbors. Heading to the nearby coffee shop, you’ll meet your regular barista and some fellow WFH-ers who are enjoying a stroll and a cafe au lait at the same time. Maybe you’ll strike up a conversation and do a bit of networking. Perhaps you’ll learn something new because you’re interacting with people outside your job description. Maybe you’ll even make some new friends.

3. You’ll get healthier

Now that you’re not spending a national average of 25 minutes per day commuting, you’ll have more time for healthy pursuits like getting in a jog, a swim, that Pilates class you put off because by the time you used to get home you were worn out. Working from home, you’ll have a chance to cook for yourself more, which means fewer microwave meals and less fast food.

Miss those pets and small family members you call “son” or “daughter”? You’ll probably see more of them if you’re working from home. Significant others won’t have to try and remember what you look like, because, hey, there you are!

4. You’ll work harder

Wait, what? Yup, that’s right. It does take a bit more concentration and focus to be a telecommuter. You have to pay attention a bit more during conference calls since you can’t rely on body language or notes to your neighbor to stay on track. You’ll need to make sure your efforts are visible to your team. Don’t miss deadlines. Don’t space meetings. Have awesome things to show for your time away from the main office buzz. If everyone you work with is remote, then you’ll need to make sure you’re keeping up with the latest collaboration software that lets you share screens and track projects. Any way you swing it, if you’re a successful remote employee, you’re a successful employee, period.

5. You’re more productive

No noise from an office worth of phones, meetings, and general hubbub will distract you when you’re at home. You can focus because nobody is walking up behind you every five minutes asking for five minutes of your time. You can set the heat/air conditioning to your desired temperature. You don’t have to worry about annoying anyone with your music (because nobody is around to complain about your Nickelback CD). In a nutshell, you’re in your ideal environment, ready to be awesome. Congrats!

Disagree, or want another perspective? This post is for you. 

Tell Us What You Think

What do you love about working from home? We want to hear from you! Leave a comment or join the discussion on Twitter.