Working from home vs. in an office

amother

Sat, Nov 22 2014, 11:14 am

If you had to choose between working from home , making a drop more money monthly
vs.
working in an office with a great social environment but a little bit of a commute.
WWYD?

I have been working from home for about a year, starting to get very lonely and bored of it.

I loved my job after my baby was born because it was too much but now she is almost 2 and I feel like it is anyways good for her to be out of the house a bit more and I am sleeping through the night and have a little more energy to get out. My previous job is looking for someone and I am very tempted to go back there.

luppamom

Sat, Nov 22 2014, 11:30 am

To me it sounds like you would benefit from working out of the house in a great social environment. If you can handle getting your child ready in the morning and doing the commute and being a good mommy at the end of the day, then why not do it? In fact, I think working out the house helps some people be better mommys because they get a break, use their brains and have a social life.

vicki

Sat, Nov 22 2014, 11:47 am

No question about it - at home which b"h I do.
I would love the social interaction but I prefer the extra money (as per your example) and convenience of throwing in laundry, cooking etc while I work at home. I am easily, able to attend my kids' school plays, cook meals for anyone needing it, offer rides, visit libraries, go shopping, even join my kids on school outings, etc...
I work/am available 16 hours a day so I have no problem doing errands during the day as well. In an office, I could never do all this.

eta. I worked full time in an office (several jobs) for over 25 years previously.

Ruchel

Sat, Nov 22 2014, 12:20 pm

Both dh and I experienced both as well as a mix.

We both prefer a mix though we find from home MUCH more convenient for family life.

You have to realize that you may get lazy working from home. You may stop dressing, etc. Some are ok with that. My friend was until she wouldn't dress even to pick up the kids to the charedi school she threw on a coat and slippers and one day the principal asked her to come out the car embarrassed

You have to realize short commute can easily turn long (jam, accidents, late) and you may get crazy from it.

Working with people rocks until it s*cks. Same for being alone.

Hatzlacha !

Dev80

Sat, Nov 22 2014, 12:28 pm

I work from home now but could see myself enjoying working out of the house at a later stage. You have to do what's best for you now.

If you need the social life and can take the pay cut and don't mind the commute - I say go for the new job! It's one thing if you'd say you are a WAHM and would like to do a job search but because it's an available job at an office you know you like that's already a huge plus.

I envision myself that if I'd work out of the house, when I'd come home that would be exclusive kids time and when they're sleeping then clean up/relax/cooking time. Working from home means that everything is fluid. I check my work emails while throwing in a batch of brownies while getting out the magna tiles for the kids. It's absolutely what I need to be doing now, there's no way I could work out of the house right now (I don't think) but it's really a stage thing. And I get my social life elsewhere - playdates, the park, shabbos meals, calling friends while washing dishes, so I don't feel I am missing that social aspect.

Hatzlacha with whatever you decide!

cityofgold

Sun, Nov 23 2014, 12:23 am

I think it really depends on you.
If you are the type who needs to get out every day, then you may hate working from home, unless you are able to get out in your free time.

I'm more introverted and I love working from home. I think I'd never want to go to the park or run errands or do any kind of socializing if I worked in an office all day; I'd be burned out of talking to people!

Also, the structure of your day makes a difference. It's nicer if you can organize your at-home workday to be similar to that of your friends, for social purposes. If you work the opposite hours of everyone you know, you'll never be able to get together with friends. If you work similar hours or your free time overlaps, you can get the interaction when you need it.

e1234

Sun, Nov 23 2014, 12:52 am

I used to love to work at home but the last few years I am getting bored.

It's also harder as I have my work at home and some of my kids come home in the afternoon when I'm still supposed to be working and they get upset when I'm on the phone with clients.

I couldn't work in an office though as with my kids I couldn't take a 9-5 job so b'h this works out good for me at this point.

sara_s

Sun, Nov 23 2014, 5:04 am

It makes sense that you would prefer working in an office. But I don't think you should be taking a pay cut for that! Together with commuting time, and other tines you'll need to be home for various reasons and will lose out on your salary, it will mean you'll be making significantly less per hour. People usually make more by working in an office than from home, not less.
Can you tell the new job what you're currently making and see if they'll at least match that salary?

mosma

Sun, Nov 23 2014, 5:04 am

I love working from home. no pressure to get dressed, I can work sitting on my bed half the time, eat my own food, prepare supper, be home for the kids, throw in my laundry, run an errand if needed...there's no contest for me.
I don't feel like I'm missing out on being social.

MMCH

Sun, Nov 23 2014, 5:20 am

I am a teacher, so obviously I work outside of home.
But I DREAM(!!) of working from home. I come up with all these new ideas every so often that will somehow get me to work from home....

I guess the grass is greener on the other side.
It just seems so much more practical. You can take the kids to school, pick them up, be home for any repairs, throw in supper, and pick up your kids if there is an emergency. Though I do hear that its probably hard to be self motivated to get dressed, and eat properly.

But when you have very young kids still pre- school it can be SO challenging having to leave very early in the morning, have them dressed, fed and ready all by 715!!

amother

Sun, Nov 23 2014, 5:41 am

In Israel it is much easier to get jobs working from home for outsourcing types of companies than to find a office job. I do admin type of work .

When you work from home you also get no benefits - you get paid an independent contractor in the US and have to pay self employment taxes but don't benefits from either country.

That (major ) downside kind of = out to getting a few dollars less an hour.