Working From Home?
Working From Home?
(OP)
Should I do it? I have a lucrative offer but it means giving up the office life and never shaving/washing again. Experiences from others welcome. BTW, engineering software development.
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RE: Working From Home?
The down side is reduced visibilty of the product and its production and the reduced interaction with fellow workers. I also find myself being strangley attracted to the PC (it is at my home also) at odd hours of the day and night to do yet more work.
You have to be disciplined to make it work and there must be a benefit to you as the company really does benefit. I too often don't shave for weeks at a time but wash regularly ............
RE: Working From Home?
The up-side is that I get to do all these fun things. The down-side is that I have to apply constant pressure to make sure my work doesn't suffer. This can cause fights. "What, you mean you won't take care of the baby (2pm) so I can run to the grocery store?!"
I find it to be a LOT harder than it sounds. I have a lab office and find myself going there seeking refuge!
BTW, I'm a 36 year old student who worked in an office for 9 years before coming back to school.
RE: Working From Home?
Making an appearance is important. I balance by life by working two days a week at home as much as possible, which avoids a nasty commute, and allows me the peace and quiet necessary to get things done. But the days in the office are productive in different ways, especially politically.
-The future's so bright I gotta wear shades!
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RE: Working From Home?
RE: Working From Home?
If it was interesting work I found it easy to do the 8hrs a day, but that also made it easy to put more time in at the expense of my family.
If it was boring work I struggled to do a full 8 hours as every little distraction seemed more appealing be it DIY, House Work, TV, Internet browsing...
271828 makes really good points. I had the issue with my wife (and kid) too, she'd assume that because I was home I could do the various little tasks around the house and it started eating into my 8rs.
It was also difficult keeping in touch with everyone at the office etc. I was actually in a different country (having emigrated) and gradually found myself losing touch with what was going on back in the office.
I still do a little work from home on occasion to help justify my only working 4 day weeks but sometimes my self discipline isn't strong enough for it to be efficient.
RE: Working From Home?
I just never realized how much I depended on a regimented office lifestyle to help keep me productive. Not everything's perfect in an office either, but things can really fall apart at home.
Some people are probably better suited for working at home than we are.
We're probably worst case scenario.
RE: Working From Home?
It has started with us already.
Chris
SolidWorks 07 3.0/PDMWorks 07
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 04-21-07)
RE: Working From Home?
- optimize your work zone without hearing from others;
- take frequent breaks;
- sleep off an impasse in the design process;
- take advantage of setting the work aside and revisiting later - it helps pick up details that you didn't consider before;
- tax benefits for use of the home; a fraction of your home expense is claimed as business expense;
- arrange your work space for a nice outside view from the home;
- involve your wife for comments or discussion. One of the principles of creative work is 'talking it over' even with somebody not technically connected with the project. It clarifies the thinking process.
RE: Working From Home?
If only. I've given up trying to even explain to her what it is that I actually do.
RE: Working From Home?
My wife tells her friends that I 'do some sort of engineeringy thing, something to do with diggers'
All I can do is sigh
Re the working at home, I've done that a few times, my wife refers to it as unemployment, I call it retraining to become a 25th century commando
Kevin Hammond
Mechanical Design Engineer
Derbyshire, UK
RE: Working From Home?
And then you'll pay capital gains on that proportion of the house when you sell it, at least in logical jurisdictions.
Cheers
Greg Locock
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RE: Working From Home?
Greg
Why would you pay capital gains on business use of your home? Is there really such a thing?
Back to telecommuting: I's jump on it in a heartbeat. I've got it all planned, I'll move to the riviera, the sweet life, good food, nice wines, all with an American salary. Man, that would be something, I think that telecommuting is a big loss to the corporations, not having the experienced guys tutoring the young fellas at the office is not productive for the boss.
Why not try it on a part time basis? or on a trial basis at least, may be a couple of days a week, or half days, whichever works for you. That way you can keep up at the office and get some relief. Unless you steal my idea and move to some beach resort.
RE: Working From Home?
It's also apparently customary that claiming a home office will _guarantee_ your tax returns get audited by the guvvamint, every year.
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
RE: Working From Home?
But when you effectively start renting part of it out to a business then those lenient tax rules no longer apply, and it is just a piece of capital used to generate an income.
Cheers
Greg Locock
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RE: Working From Home?
I already live in a beach resort (of sorts) and work 2 miles away. Commuting from home to central London for even a couple of days a week isn't a nice thought. It makes for a really long day. I did hit send on the "No thank you" email and am not regretting it (yet).
RE: Working From Home?
PS Never live with regrets, they don't tend to make good friends
Kevin Hammond
Mechanical Design Engineer
Derbyshire, UK