Two years during a deadly pandemic, everyone has grasped the concept of working from home. Now that there is a new variant on the loose, employers and employees understand the concept of safety, and working from home is the safest option to have. While companies want their employees to work in an office, everyone knows that working from home has its benefits.
Working from home saves you time from commuting and preparing to go to the office. Technically, almost any office desk job can be done inside the household and when the pandemic ends, working from home will never be out of the table. While work from home has its own benefits, there are also downsides to this type of job setup.
For employers, the downside for them during a work from the home setup is, of course, having lesser supervision over their employees. And for employees, there are more downsides to working from home at this side of the coin.
A work from the home setup is boring
For some people, a work-from-home setup can be boring because all you have every day is their workstation and nothing else. For some people, a workstation means the computer table they have beside their bed. This creates a repetitive routine of waking up, going to work all day, and going to bed again.
Another reason why this setup can be boring for employees is that there are no people that they can talk to. If you’re feeling bored, the best thing to do is set a limit on the work you do and instead, have time for yourself too. Having a professional-life balance in a work-from-home setup is hard, but this is the only way to make it bearable.
A work from home setup can be distracting
For others, bringing your work inside the house can be repetitive and boring. And for others, working in the comfort of their homes is a recipe for distraction and procrastination. While working, having the urge to check your social media or watch your favorite Netflix series is possible. Another distraction that you can have at home is the chores that you are supposed to do.
These chores can be an excuse for not doing the work you like because you can justify it as doing something productive. One of the solutions you can have to solve this problem is by having a separate room dedicated only for work. In this workstation, you shall never bring anything but your work laptop.
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Loneliness can come up easy
One of the things that make us humans is our desire to communicate and form connections with other humans. Some people have minimal conversations with their co-workers but it’s better than nothing. After every shift, people can go to dates, movies, and other places with the people they love.
Now that we are still in the middle of the pandemic, this opportunity was somehow stripped away. People can get lonely in a work-from-home setup because they might have no one to talk to. The best solution for this is having virtual parties and movie nights with your friends. Talking to your family is also essential at these times.
Working from home can affect your health
It’s ironic that everyone is working from home nowadays to prioritize their health without knowing that it can affect it big time. When you’re in this setup, you have the possibility to binge eat, be stagnant, take long naps, and have less physical activity because of the repetitive routine that you do every day. This can cause health problems and weight gain in the long run.
The only solution for this problem is by having good habits that affect your health positively. As much as you can, you should eat healthily, get at least seven hours of sleep at night, and of course, have some physical activity. Having a healthy lifestyle during the pandemic might be hard but you’ll thank yourself once you get the hang of it.
Working from home can be noisy
Another disadvantage of working from home is the noises that are present. These noises could be coming from inside your home or your neighbors. The TV, washing machine, and even your family members can distract you from doing your work. And sometimes, having a quiet workspace is necessary, especially if you’re working in the BPO industry.
To reduce noise, you can politely ask your family to tone down their devices during a work shift or place your workstation in an area not reached by noise. But the best way to reduce noise is by soundproofing your home office. That way, you can have a work shift without any distracting sounds from other sources.
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Lack of proper equipment at Home
Mostly, this disadvantage is felt by people who want to apply for work from home jobs but have no computers or laptops, to begin with. If you want to have your first at-home job but you have no equipment, there are companies that are lending computers to their employees. There are also low-end laptops you can buy that are perfect for office work.
Work from home or office setup?
The answer to this varies from person to person. Some people prefer working from offices because they have a better concentration. Working in the office also helps them catch up with friends. On the other hand, people who want to feel freer and have a better work-life balance often prefer working from home.
Before thinking that job from an office is better, you should also consider the benefits of working from home. For instance, you no longer have to go through traffic. You can have more time for yourself and once you’re done with your work, do everything as you please. At-home work can also be more productive for some people.
This is because some people work better with only a few to no people around. Having an option to work from inside your house also gives you better options on the type of job you do. Unlike before, you can get a job with an easier load and higher pay without going too far places. Working from home is truly a blessing once you solve the problems that come along with it.
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