Working via remote is something that a lot of people dream about doing, yet not that many are allowed to do this. A lot of companies have their employees come in to work every day for a specific amount of time, and for them to be able to show that they rendered the time they are supposed to, they clock in and clock out. Those who work from home also need to show that they rendered the time they are supposed to give to the company, and this is done with a timekeeper program on their computers.
I, for one, am lucky enough to have both – work from home and work in an office, although I don’t have to time in and time out for both instances. My work is productivity-based, which means, I have to do the work that I am supposed to do on that day, whether it takes me 2 hours or 12 hours. Once I am done with what I need to do for the day, I am free to do other things.
My situation is unique and not all WFH or telecommuting workers have this kind of a setup. Some, if not most, need to show that they are doing the work they are supposed to while they are at home. In order to do this, their computers are usually equipped with software that allows the company to capture random screenshots through the day to show that the person is indeed doing what they are paid for. Some of the software even use the computer’s camera to take a picture of the person infront of the PC, to check if they are truly working.
While I do enjoy the freedom of working via remote or from home, there is still something to be said about working in an office. This is why I also do this once in a while. To help you compare both, here are some of the benefits that either one has:
Work From Home
- You have more time – you don’t waste time prepping for work and you don’t waste time commuting to work either. You simply turn on your PC, log in, and start working. That shaves off at least 2 hours going to work and another 2 hours getting home from work.
- You don’t have to dress up – you can work in your pajamas, you can work in your undies, heck, you can even work naked, if you want to. Just make sure that you don’t have a video call during the workday or you will definitely get in trouble when you show up for the call in your birthday suit.
- You save money – yes, you actually save money since you don’t have to spend gas on driving to work or paying cab fare. You also don’t need to spend on other things that you spend on when you go to the office, like lunches (you can choose not to eat when you are at home), makeup, corporate clothing, and many more.
Work From Office
- You interact with others regularly – this means you have friends and you don’t have to slowly go insane talking to yourself, which is a possibility when you work via remote.
- You can easily share ideas and get input – another advantage of being in an office setting is you get to share ideas and get suggestions from your peers, which can help increase your knowledge and solve problems that you cannot solve alone.
- You get out of the house – this is one thing that some WFH individuals don’t do in order to save money. When you work in an office, you need to get out of the house to get to work, so you get a change in scenery every single day.
There are also a few cons for each one. For example, for those who work from home, you will find that being along for long periods of time can drive you crazy. It can also mean that you have more distractions around you than you would in an office setting. You will also find it hard to determine when your work ends and your home life begins and vice versa.
For those who work in an office setting, you will always dread the daily commute, particularly when you need to pass through traffic-filled streets. You will also hate the politics that comes with being in an office (although, this can also exist even with a telecommuting job). You might also dread the waste of time that comes with unnecessary meetings, long lunches, and other time-sucking activities that could otherwise be used in finishing your work.
With that said, these two have both good and bad sides. Which one suits you best is dependent on the kind of work that you do. For me, any of the two will do since I can adjust accordingly. Besides, I love the variation because it gives me a sense of freedom that I can do either of the two.
