Not all workers can work from home. At the end of the day, being able to work from home is a privilege. For those who can, working from home does come with certain unique advantages. More and more (former) office workers are beginning to appreciate the perks of working from home, as company policies change in response to both the coronavirus pandemic and broader shifts in workforce trends. At the same time, the same workers might also notice that working from home also comes with distinct disadvantages.
One worker’s pro is another worker’s con
You might find the lack of a commute disorienting. Your former desk neighbor might confess that they find it exhilarating. Some workers might thrive immediately. For others there might be a learning curve. Not every worker has the same needs, the same pet peeves or even the same home office. Some might like the fact that they can attend video conference calls without pants. Others might miss wearing shoes—real shoes, not the slippers you wear to take out the trash for your daily vitamin D.
For Elizabeth Pich of War and Peas, who illustrated the above list, fitness routines and quality time with loved humans and animals count as crucial work from home benefits. As the cons column shows, these benefits come with some inconveniences. The key is to find ways to make the benefits work for you.
Adapt your home for work from home
Once you begin to regularly work from home, your home is no longer just a place you unwind after a day at the office—it is the office. You’ll need to adjust accordingly. As the illustration convincingly shows, sure, you might welcome the opportunity to diversify your lunches. But then you might realize you can’t cook. Whatever the changes you need to make, big and small, likely you’ll need to make some changes.
Fortunately, while work from home may be new and unfamiliar to many, it’s not wholly untrodden territory. Resources exist! Of course, one size does not fit all. But it’s worth keeping in mind that just like office work, working from home becomes easier the more you do it—and also, that some perks (hi, dog owners!) don’t really come with a dark side.
Read more: The Toggl Guide to Working from Home
Violet likes consistency, precision, and things organized neatly. She’s agnostic on the serial comma.