Who said Homeworking is easy !!!

[lilelvis2000]

Yeah I'm currently "working" outta a spare room in my wife's office. Plenty of room for all the servers I use..plus the two my wife needs. I get some social interaction with other tenants in the building, plus I can just bob out whenever and for how long I like.

The only downside is that I can't access from home if I forget something or need to try an idea which flys into my head at night.

I'm hopeing that soon we'll get a larger place so I can setup at home. 'course need to find a project first to fund that.

[Francko]

..plus the two my wife needs

I have initially read this as "plus the two wives I need"....

[FarmerPalmer]

but miss the social interaction.

I think that is the hardest thing

[Francko]

I think that is the hardest thing

I don't miss that much. 90% of that social interaction at work is fake and most people do not want to mix personal feelings and work.

[darmstadt]

7:00 - power up the laptop and VPN in. Check mails, do some work
9:00 - do other stuff
10:00 - go into town for coffee and stuff
13:00 - back home. Check mails, do some work
14:00 - bored, watch court TV and chat shows (shout at the telly a lot)
17:00 - check mails, do some work (except Fridays, 17:01 - pub)
18:00 - evening meal
20:00 - check mails
20:01 - sit down for an evening in
23:00 - check mails and power down.

8 hours minimum, sorted (actually if the work was slightly more taxing then I would put the hours in, but as the way they schedule work, 1 hour actual work = 2 hours, it all works out fine.)

[VectraMan]

I've been doing it for 5 months now, some of it for a client (who still owes me money), and some on my plan B. I've just had two really good days where I've got loads done, but I've found myself going whole weeks where it's hard to get on with anything.

I have the spare room as an office, which is good as it keeps the seperation, but I think the key is having enough other things in your life that you feel you get away from work. Which I don't, unfortunately, and I think that's why I struggle.

When I started this I had all these ideas about doing volunteer work, or night school classes, or anything to get out of the house now I had the time, and haven't got round to any of it.

The lack of social interaction is an issue, but then before all this I spent 18 months at a client where nobody spoke to each other; I think I prefer it this way.

[PAH]

I don't miss that much. 90% of that social interaction at work is fake and most people do not want to mix personal feelings and work.

Particularly with contracting where you're likely to be moving on sooner than later. I really don't give a toss about what some bod was doing at the weekend or how their kids are great at everything. I know someday soon I'll have seen the back of them for good.

Same with all those prats at school/college/uni. If I really give a toss what they're doing now I'll look them up on facebook under my fake login.

Besides the internet (and CUK!) offer some relief from an otherwise lonely life on the road as a contractor. Other forms of relief are also easily obtainable for a price.

Contracting's the perfect career for me, I don't do long term commitment, and get paid handsomely for it. Never married, no kids, never owned a house. I do sympathise with all those that are plagued by stress. To me it's just another word in the dictionary.

As for homeworking, only been lucky enough to be offered it for a few months on a previous gig. It was great. Maybe if we offered a lower rate to work at home the agents would swing it for us, so they could pocket the difference!

[VectraMan]

I really don't give a toss about what some bod was doing at the weekend or how their kids are great at everything. I know someday soon I'll have seen the back of them for good.

Same with all those prats at school/college/uni. If I really give a toss what they're doing now I'll look them up on facebook under my fake login.

And I thought I was anti-social.

[PAH]

And I thought I was anti-social.

I think I've spent too long developing web apps. My life is becoming more and more stateless.

Maybe I'm subconsciously preparing for the day HMRC turn up with their tub of vaseline labelled "IR35". One way ticket to the first destination on the board at the airport will be in order. Now that's what I call playing the lottery. Especially if the flight's to Saudi Arabia and I turn up in my T shirt with the "Don't be boring let's go whoring. Sponsored by Mates with Stella." caption. Fortunately I can grow a beard in 3 hours, so should fit well in if I can get past security.

[DieScum]

My typical day is something like this

9:00 - Log on, check emails, have breakfast
12:30 - Lunch or Gym
5:00 - Log off

In between really depends how much work I do. Sometimes there isn't much on. Sometimes I find it very hard to work to be honest.

Overall I enjoy home working but do have mixed feelings. I wouldn't want to lose it any time soon and go back to an office.

Or rather it depends on the office. A few years back I had a fun job. There were about 8 of us consultants in a building with sales, admin, etc. So was a nice social environment not just IT nerds.

As consultants we'd either be on the road working hard, all around the world, in front of customers. But when we were in the office it was relaxed. We could come in late. I'd saunter in about 10 and leave at 5. We would mess about and catch up on where we had been with whoever was in that week.

A lot of your social life was taken care of. There was always something springing up. A celebration meal, someone visiting from an international office who needs taking out, one of the birds organising something.

The office was ten minutes walk from my office and I used to walk to work along the harbour.

Would be great to go back to something like that again... but that place shut down two months after I left. Relocated to Cheshire.

As a consultant I must have worked in ... I dunno ... definitely over 50 offices over the last 8 or so years. The majority have been pretty rubbish, drab environments where you get in and get out to earn the money.

I think the whole idea of the 9-5 just doesn't work for me. I'm happier putting in a solid 2 hours of work a day and then doing other stuff for the rest of that time... and I reckon I get just as much done as a 9-5 day in a traditional office. How much productive work actually goes on in offices?