Reply to: Home v Office working

[Denny]

Home every time for me. I can work to my bodyclock a lot better. Mornings to mid afternoon and 3-4 hours in the evenings. Mind you, I'm not distracted by other people or pets, so that probably makes a difference, plus I'm not the sort of person that needs constant company to be happy.

The biggest downfall is if you are WFH for a long contract and then get another that operates more on a personal client control basis with fixed expected office hours. Highly likely in my field. Re-adjusting could be tough.

At the moment I'm in heaven. I'm enjoying my assignment, have a wonderful client, can come and go as I please, love the work, foreign travel prospects, excellent money and an on-site office that's only a half hour commute from door to door. The only real downside is the constant pressure to produce at short notice and longish hours realistically to keep up with deadlines. Still, you can't have everything.

[TheMonkey]

2. Try to avoid a wankathon mid morning

Mid afternoon is even worse - makes the day drag even more.

I'm working at home at the moment - it's why my damn post count is rocketing.

[DimPrawn]

Yes, that's what I miss the most working at home. The endless client crumpet wiggling up the office corridors.

[Torran]

The office is best , free stationary , laptops etc.

agreed

plus blond female "co-workers" in tiny, tiny little skirts

[Bitbucket]

The office is best , free stationary , laptops etc.

[Sysman]

1. Wake up early, shower and dress for work (casual) rather than code in your pants.

...

6. Always take breaks - get out of the office - cycle when the weather's good, get the shopping in the mid-morning/early afternoon - the blue rinses are quite laid back and it helps reduce your stress levels. I call it thinking time.

Also keep to meal breaks properly, and take them away from your desk.
Pick regular meal times and stick to them.

Don't be tempted to survive on sandwiches - prepare proper meals.

Do something else like watch the midday news while chomping.

Regular breaks (every hour or two) outside in the garden for a cuppa (weather permitting) are also a good idea.

[DieScum]

Well I am way before the having a family stage. So kids aren't a problem for me.

I suppose is good. I can hit up a club tonight. Have a few drinks and as long as I don't have a mad one I can just get up a bit later tomorrow rather than crawl out of bed at 6:30 with a hangover slowly sapping my will to be human.

[Pondlife]

I suppose I feel pretty isolated but the money is coming in and the job is getting done.

I think it makes a bigger difference depending on home life. It you live alone then the home-office door is always open and there is a tendency to work more but less productively. It you have family around then you have the perfect excuse to finish on time (pick the kids up from school etc) and enjoy the family life whilst you can - you never know where the next project will be.

HTH

[DieScum]

Thanks for the great replies.

What I find hard is doing the little bits and pieces which I don't have to but would do if I know that people are popping in and out and I 'should' be working.

I miss the informal stuff you pick up in the office. The little tips, the casual information bandied about.

I miss the idle chatting and the social life.

I miss the competition. Who can solve this quickest. Who can answer this best. You can do it by email but isn't the same if you hardly know the others.

Hmmm.

I did think it was going to be idyllic and I don't think I want to go back to hauling ass out of bed at 6:30 for a long commute but I need to get more disciplined.

My old office was great. I could come in when I wanted within reason. There was always something happening. Someone had always just come back from a project somewhere. There was always some interesting technical discussion being thrown about. You could nip out and have lunch with someone, or arrange to do something in the evening. I suppose I feel pretty isolated but the money is coming in and the job is getting done.

[Xenophon]

Prefer the office as if I work from home I just play Unreal Tournament all day.

[hyperD]

I work from home and have done so for the last 2 years or so (and direct, multi-clients and no agents).

The hardest part is separating the home/work life and I have found the following useful:-

1. Wake up early, shower and dress for work (casual) rather than code in your pants.

2. Try to avoid a wankathon mid morning

3. Lock the office door after day end and do not go back to your computer/server room

4. Lock the door over the weekend

5. For motivation, set unrealistic deadlines or increase your gearing.

6. Always take breaks - get out of the office - cycle when the weather's good, get the shopping in the mid-morning/early afternoon - the blue rinses are quite laid back and it helps reduce your stress levels. I call it thinking time.

7. Plan as many clientside meetings as possible

8. Keep kids out of the office at all time - install electric shock cattle wire if necessary.

I like working from home - you are far more efficient but it doesn't suit everybody and requires a certain, disciplined mindset. A friend of mine worked from home for over 2 years and decided to get an office in the end. As it's local to me I might do the same as we can share the costs and just play Unreal Tournament all day...

[MrsGoof]

with a jug of Pimms.

and it's time to reapply some SPF 15.

[OrangeHopper]

Don't ask Mrs Goof because she's in the garden at the moment.

[Pondlife]

I've found it works best if you can manage a combination of the two.

Working from home is great when you are busy as .... and need to knuckle down or catch up on stuff but I've found that when you're not in the office you don't hear about a load of things that were discussed over the desk (i.e. not formally communicated).

Try to work from home on a Friday to catch up with the weeks emails and avoid the nightmare traffic and sometimes on a Monday if I have a load of prep to do.

[dang65]

I've been working from home for about 6 months now and it does have some major drawbacks which I'm going to have to deal with very quickly now my contract has been extended for another 6.

1. Lack of exercise. I used to cycle to work, about 8 miles each way. I did that for years, in various jobs, and I miss it like mad. Just going out for a random spin doesn't seem justifiable somehow, a waste of time even, whereas commuting was a requirement.

2. It's really hard to just knuckle down and work when you've got no peer pressure, no manager likely to wander up to your desk at random, no fixed hours of work. Self-discipline is a skill I have never mastered.

3. The office is always there. Once the kids are in bed I'll probably get a drink and wander back in here and poke around with some code, or desperately try and catch up with what I couldn't be arsed to do during the day. It pretty much removes all deadlines, because you can always find a couple more hours from somewhere - go to bed late, or get up early. It's not good because work is never segregated from home.

4. When the children get back from school they're forever wandering in here asking for something or other. I've tried threats, violence, pleading... nothing works.

So, yeah, I'd do it occasionally, and I'm stuck with it now for a few more months, but I don't think I'd set out to find another work from home position. And I never thought I'd say that. It's like moving from the city to the countryside. Sounds idyllic, and you soon regret it. Probably suits some people though I suppose.