[Closed] Disadvantages of working remotely

I think all the advantages hugely outweigh the occasional birthday cake 😀

Worked remotely for 10 years now!

I'm working from home today and currently listening to Guided by Voices on Spotify, I didn't have an hours commute , I've not showered yet and I might buy myself a donut later.

I have no complaints and it's kept me from eating my body weight in sweets today

I think it does work best when everyone in the team works remotely.
Cant say I miss most of the rubbish although I do normally go in once a week its deliberately on the quietest day when most people are at home.

I’ve not showered yet and I might buy myself a donut later

Seeing as this is a WFH thread that's a euphemism right?
😉

- reliant on home internet and IT support when nothing works
- other half asking you to do jobs
- kids at home being a pain
- no adequate desk space
- too many distractions
- more conference calls
- makes working relationships more difficult
- makes career development harder
- no commute exercise
loads of disadvantages for me

Okay let's deploy the Mitchell & Webb link:

Not being told, you've been allowed to knock off early for Xmas.....

Yeah chronic masturbation is the only pro and con I can see here.

I've worked remotely since 2009 in a number of roles. I'm pretty effective & seem to get more done in a lot less time than those in an office. The flexibility is fantastic & means I get to do the school run on my bike quite a lot. A recent gig had me onsite for three days out of 10 for about 18 months. I really didn't get on with that. Too much office politics. New gig in January is based in Vevey and the customer forbids us from setting foot on site so they don't exceed their Swiss visa quotas.

Best team I ever worked in had me in Northumberland, my boss in Detroit, my nearest colleague in Ottawa, a guy in San Antonio and two guys in Billings, MT. We all worked brilliantly together & would send each other (and their kids) presents for Christmas & birthdays.

+ don’t have to pay for commuting
+ 15 hours a week back from not commuting.
+ zero money spent on lunches/drinks etc at work (and no temptation to)
+ very little ‘can you just’
+ can still ride bike/go to gym pre or post work (when not injured)

- no birthday cakes.

Given the rest of my team is in Poland, I’m really not sure why I’m not allowed to work from home in Leeds rather than an office in Harrogate without a sick note

I’m really not sure why I’m not allowed to work from home in Leeds rather than an office in Harrogate without a sick note

Trust. Sucks that people don't have it.

Biggest disadvantage of WFH for me is that no-one can see you STW.

I was going to work remotely this morning, but a few unexpected jobs dropped which meant it was more efficient to make the 10 min commute. I'm glad I did as morning tea break was accompanied by bacon and egg muffins. Result.

Opened thread expecting the video.

Is not disappoint.

I have to say, the absence of all the forced jollity and 'will you sponsor me to skydive with cakes to raise money for donkeys to go on a gap year to save the rainforest?' more than makes up for being away from an office!

+ don’t have to pay for commuting
+ 15 hours a week back from not commuting.
+ zero money spent on lunches/drinks etc at work (and no temptation to)
+ very little ‘can you just’
+ can still ride bike/go to gym pre or post work (when not injured)

This - and because I'm a travelling salesman as soon as I leave my door the path to expensed overpriced coffee and M&S lunches is left open to me.

In the last six months of the year the boss ordered Tuesday meetings. Although this does mean getting up at 5am every Tuesday, its enough of a visit to have some productive conversation with your peers and other office staff.

The disadvantages only really happen when you work at home all the time.

WFH Monday and Wednesday suits me fine - I've not done a full week in the office for about 3 years 😉

WFH for 10 years now, couldn't go back to working in an office full time. If I am working for a UK client I try to get on site one day/week.

I couldn't do a regular commute (at total waste of time) and get much more done at home.

There is something to be said for casual interaction, but it gets abused if you are physically present more than 1 or 2 days/week; the rule of diminishing returns applies.

Just got the answer machine at head office, so looks like they've knocked off early again without telling their remote workers 🤔

Heyho, at least I don’t have to listen to Christmas songs on the radio.

This. I go in some days in a week, and this is what I have to put up with. Had it in previous companies too. Enthusiastic office juniors still thinking Christmas is special, the more fun loving types (male or female) who think everyone should be festive, music blaring out, quizzes, secret bloody santa, get everyone to wear festive jumpers etc.

Hate all that stuff. On of the many reasons I went contracting was to try to get away from it, but I'm still stuck with clients that need* me to be in the office at times (*they don't).

Gifts, birthdays, leaving stuff, celebrations, glad I'm out of it. I'm not staff so it shouldn't involve me (though I'm asked to sign the bloody cards whenever I'm there and there's a card going round every day just about).

Anyway, commute a few times a week is doing my head in as it's a longer commute than I've done before but it's not every day. Really I'd like to base myself permanently at home or in a local office (rent an office space somewhere local).

Shared office was the best compromise for me, enough sociability but no work stress from those you shared the space with. Always had the option to WFH if needed, we did birthdays and christmas and friday arvo knock off beers and some tuesday's too 🙂

Best bit was it was a 15min stroll from the house so no real commute just enough time to get your head into the game and out of it again

- Lack of decent IT support
- Being a little bit lonely. Human interaction is good for you
- intolerance creeps in as you don't have those face to face conversationsn that often
- It's not as good for innovation as you're not face to face
- Communication can be tricky as you cannot pick up body language or other subtle clues on the phone
- tendency to offload stress onto partner
- difficult to switch off
- propensity to work late to "just finish this task"
- paying extra energy bills
- out of sight, out of mind. You get forgotten about frequently

Plus sides:
- Flexibility to pop out to shops, do chores etc
- don't have to listen to inane conversations
- much better tea and coffee!
- no commute
- can intercept Amazon parcels without the wife finding you buying more bike parts!
- you get to avoid that annoying git in the office who drives you mad...you know who I mean Olive, Mike, Sandra etc. there's always at least one of them!!!

Lack of decent IT support

On the other hand, office network / servers going down is less of an issue. Depending whether you dial in and need the stuff or can work remotely mostly without the use of their equipment.

Twiddling thumbs while stuff is down in the office is frustrating. As a contractor have to decide whether to go home as can't do work, technically can't bill for it (arguable, some would. IR35 favours going home instead of being paid to twiddle thumbs. Besides, can bugger off and go ride bikes instead).

Whilst I have the option to work from home I always work out of an office. The commute is only 5 minutes and I just get more done, I spend hours procrastinating if I work from home (OK there is some irony in that I do access STW when in the office...) and kid myself I make up for it by 'working' longer hours. It's also much easier discussing stuff with colleagues when it's face to face.
The company I work for now has a "working together" initiative which I find amusing, as I see it it's basically "we've decided we don't really trust you after all so prefer you to work from offices rather than home". It's also expensive for office space if people are working from home regularly, the office I work out of has desk space for about 150 people whereas typically there's about 50 people in the office. You could say just get a smaller office but the problem then is the times where a lot of people are needing to work out of the office but have nowhere to go.

I've worked from home for the last 10 years, while running my own business. But that's not really "working remotely" as it was my main office (and my partner had her office at her house).
However I've just gone back to an office job, where I can choose to WFH - and I expect I'll do a bit of both in order to minimise the disadvantages mentioned above.

This is an excellent podcast which covers the issue...
http://freakonomics.com/podcast/open-offices/

It's far easier if you have a 5 minute commute. When you end up wasting 2 hours out of every day travelling it's a different story.

I think we need to re-adjust our attitudes and working practices to encourage home or remote working in some form or another for the sake of our lives and our environment.

Just let your resentment fester until you reach the point where you realize that people suck and they don't deserve you, then you'll see that you're better off staying at home and sulking by yourself. The people at the office will be happier too because you won't be there moping around sulking about shit nobody cares about.

if i lived five minutes from the office there is no way I would work from home. as it is, 45min drive makes it well worth it 2-3 days a week.

It’s far easier if you have a 5 minute commute. When you end up wasting 2 hours out of every day travelling it’s a different story.

This. My commute is thus

In the morning, 20 min cycle > 5-10 min wait (plus however late the train is) > 35 min train ride > 20 min cycle.

Then evening, 20 min cycle > 25 min wait (plus delays) > 35 min train > 20 min cycle.

Leave at 630AM, home for 7PM

All to be in an office in Harrogate rather than my office at home in Leeds (I work in a team of around 2 dozen, come February I'll be the only one not in Poland). Though work are fine with me not doing it while my foot is knackered (entering the 4th month now) and have a doctors note to prove it. Once it's fixed I'm going to ask if i can carry on, but expect to be told to foxtrot oscar

I go into the office one or two days a week to stop me going mad. While i love WFH i really begrudge the increase in electric and heating costs in the winter. But that's the price you have to pay, I guess

But that’s the price you have to pay, I guess

I'll take the extra heating cost over £2,400 a year in train fares...

Yep, the cost of commuting adds up silently for a lot of people, somewhere between 500 and 1400 for me a year which pays a lot of heating and electric bills.

Though I admire the dedication of living close enough to work for a 5 min commute!! My folks live on the farm and by the time my Dad gets from the kitchen to the farm gate it's probably 2-3 mins!!

Take out all of the getting sorted, finding trousers etc. it's a good time saving each day, chuck in the stuff you can get done at the same time and it works well.

begrudge the increase in electric and heating costs in the winter.

I get a "working from home" allowance to cover this, perhaps worth asking your employer if it exists.

I go into the office one or two days a week to stop me going mad. While i love WFH i really begrudge the increase in electric and heating costs in the winter. But that’s the price you have to pay, I guess

If you have to work from home, I believe you can get a tax rebate which should go a bit towards covering it.

Most weeks I do a couple of days in London (staying overnight with the colleague who got me the job in the first place) and the rest working from home in Wiltshire - so I all my commuting gets rolled up into two longish train journeys (in which I can get work done - or more likely read/browse/nap). Fortunately I am allowed to get an off-peak train in the morning so I'm not crammed in.
Works really well for me - but if I didn't have reliable Internet at home, a study to work in, no kids, and my wife out working during the day thus not prone to finding things for me to do, and free London accommodation - then it wouldn't be nearly so sweet.
I actually do like being in the office though, ironically...

Whilst I have the option to work from home I always work out of an office. The commute is only 5 minutes and I just get more done, I spend hours procrastinating if I work from home (OK there is some irony in that I do access STW when in the office…) and kid myself I make up for it by ‘working’ longer hours. It’s also much easier discussing stuff with colleagues when it’s face to face.

+1. I'm way more productive in the office, and I find face-to-face discussions/ meetings to be far more effective than dialling in. I'd rather stay late to get my work done, and keep my home and work life separate.

My commute is a heady 15 minute bike ride though.