Work from Home vs Work from Office

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Working from home and working from office both have their own set of pros and cons. While work from home offers efficiency and avoids a long commute, office work provides a better environment for communication, collaboration and overall growth of one’s career. 

  • Working from home presents us with the opportunity to have a balanced work-life while still being successful professionally. 
  • It is increasingly becoming the new normal and it brings with it many benefits, both professionally and personally. 
  • It adds a level of convenience that’s not typically afforded by traditional work environments, enabling them to make more mindful and intentional use of their most valuable asset: time. 
  • This flexibility is vital for anyone hoping to break away from the normal grind and achieve something new and exciting. 
  • Even most of the big companies like Infosys, TCS, Facebook, Google, let employee decide if he/she wants to work from home. Employee has the discretion to work from office or work from home whenever he wants. Some of the organisations adopt 25 by 25 operating model where they make sure that employees work in office at office in atleast 25% of their time. 

One great opportunity it provides us is the time to pursue learning and training necessary for career growth. 

  • Taking online courses or attending virtual seminars allows us to take advantage of time saved from commuting and being in an office environment. 
  • People can take advantage of online course offerings that allow to learn new skills and gain essential knowledge to grow professionally from own home. Whether it’s a course on finance or a workshop on coding, taking up studies that enhance our skillset can help us become more attractive for both current and future employers and lend credibility to our CV.
  • From an employee’s point of view, working from home offers efficiency and time savings without having to worry about commuting or traffic jams. 
  • From a health perspective, working from home eliminates long-distance commutes, avoiding the potential physical exhaustion caused by a daily train ride. 
  • It also creates more leisure time to maintain an active lifestyle and relax from a stressful day. 
  • Digital technologies make it easier for remote workers to keep up with in-person goals. 
  • Additionally, working from home also helps save money that would have otherwise been spent on transport costs or expensive coworking spaces. 
  • Additionally, working from home offers employees the ability to spend more time with family and friends in their free time away from work, allowing forsocial connections that would otherwise be difficult or even impossible if long commutes were necessary every day.
  • This can make a big difference their career trajectory and overall job satisfaction.
  • Self-growth consistently boosts motivation and offers rewards that can benefit us in many aspects of life.

Working from home has revolutionized the lives of many people with a side hustle

  • Side hustlers now can generate steady income while still being able to follow their dreams, which is important for those who need to support themselves or their family on that income. 
  • It offers them the flexibility they need to make time for both work and their aspirations, such as freelance pursuits, creative projects, or anything else they may have wanted to try.
  • They can work comfortably at home and also give time to their passion, dream job, passion or any thing that they aspire. 
  • WFH is not only an undeniable convenience, but it has become a lifesaver for many motivated individuals striving to reach their goals. 

Working from home is still a relatively new concept, especially on the scale that we are seeing it today. 

  • While many have enjoyed greater flexibility and creative freedom while working remotely, there are myriad unknowns associated with such an arrangement. 
  • The implications of this switch on both physical and mental health have yet to be fully studied, as it is taking time for researchers to examine its effects.
  • The evidence thus far shows that while some embrace the flexibility and freedom offered by remote work, others experience isolation and an inability to disconnect from work due to unstructured days. 
  • It will be interesting to observe what effects arise from this experiment in mass remote work over time. 
  • Going forward, understanding these implications can help create policies for people who are now forced to adapt to this new working style. 

The beauty of modern technology is that it frequently allows for flexible work hours, giving individuals more control over their lives. Unfortunately, the same freedom that allows for unparalleled productivity can also become an abused privilege if not employed strategically. 

  • Research shows that when working from home, the number one problem professionals face is creating a structured routine, enabling them to make the most out of their day and complete their assigned tasks in a timely manner.
  •  It is easily possible to get caught up in the many enjoyments of being at home and become unfocused on one’s goals. 
  • With diligent work in establishing a clear plan each day and sticking to it, workers can maintain focus and productivity regardless of where they are operating from.
  • Routines are key for streamlining productivity and reaching objectives necessitating maintaining a sense of separateness between ‘home’ and ‘office’. 

Despite its benefits in cutting down travel time and increasing efficiency, working from home has limitations when it comes to career growth. 

  • Working from the office is a far more rewarding experience than working from home; not only does it provide structure and routine, but it allows a better work/life balance. 
  • Not only does it eliminate distractions that can be found at home, like a family member needing attention or laundry needing to be done, but it also enables workers to collaborate with their colleagues and supervisors in real-time. 
  • Studies have consistently found that employees are more productive when working in a suitable office environment, as the atmosphere allows for natural collaboration and communication between staff members.
  • Working in an office helps to reduce distractions, which can lead to added stress.
  • Plus, with fewer distractions at the workplace one’s focus is improved therefore allowing greater levels of efficiency. 
  • Being able to leave the workplace after completing tasks encourages healthy behaviors and puts an emphasis on disconnecting from your career during leisure times. 

Various benefits of working from office includes 

  • Learning new things from seniors
  • Collaboration with other employees 
  • Socializing and networking
  • Exploring new career opportunities
  • Meeting new people which in turns help is better communication skills and other intrepersonal soft skills
  • Being upto date with latest trends and technologies
  • Understanding culture of people working from different parts of the world
  • Developing good habits like waking up early, doing regular tasks, eating at proper times, reaching office at same time, etc. 
  • All such things together helps us in getting more disciplined which is very essential for long term success.

Working in an office entails a host of advantageous lessons, and time management is one of the most invaluable ones. 

  • In an office setting, you are shown how to perceive and utilize your time efficiently. 
  • After all, you are expected to arrive at work on time, take short yet necessary lunch breaks and log off when the official hours get over. 
  • It gives you the chance not only to learn about time management but also how to manage stress alongside it. 
  • Office Routine makes task completion smoother and more efficient while optimizing productivity as well.2.

The modern work environment has made it immensely difficult to create a clear division between our personal and professional lives

  • This lack of delineation can be extremely draining – both physically and mentally – resulting in dramatic drops in productivity. 
  • On top of that, while working remotely, we rarely have the benefit of enjoying a different physical space to act as a mental divide; we are living, eating, drinking, working, and sleeping all at the same place. 
  • This reduces productivity as distractions are heightened and concentration can be hard to maintain.. 

Working from home can seem like a dream come true, but in the prolonged duration of isolated working is taking its toll.

  • Working remotely without any physical activity (which is involved in going to an office), depression cases have seen a sharp increase as well as other mental and physical health problems. 
  • Muscle strength and energy levels have decreased due to lack of physical activity leading to various other serious medical conditions, such as lack of movement making digestion slower and inducing physiological changes.
  • People following a routine, going to gym or doing any physical activity are very rare. 
  • Long-term repercussions such as anxiety attacks and increase in blood pressure are definitely not within range of healthy lifestyle. 
  • Additionally, because people are not getting out and seeing friends and family on a regular basis like they once did, socializing with others is drastically reduced which can lead further complications with one’s mental health.
  • Thus, working from home for a long term can be extremely dangerous for our overall health.

Working from home has its benefits but after a long time, employees miss the office environment

  • Everyone looks forward to reconnecting with their colleagues, being part of team projects, having interesting conversations across departments and taking part in civic events at the office.
  • People miss the familiarity of having a dedicated workspace; it’s hard to be productive and efficient when working from home in uncomfortable or distracting environments. 
  • Moreover, there’s a special value that comes with face-to -face interaction which technology solutions just can’t bring. 
  • Working with human interaction allows for more creativity and innovation as compared to work alone from home. Having restricted social contact for so long creates a yearning for meeting people face-to-face, which cannot be replaced with video chatting through computers. A healthy work culture is essential for companies for covering the trust factor among employers and employees.

As someone just starting out in their career, working from the office can be a great advantage. Not only does it offer a more structured environment to focus on their job tasks, but it also provides many opportunities for networking and learning from mentors or colleagues. Working away from the office can make their progress rather slow, or even worse, lead to them getting stuck in a rut. 

On the other hand, for experienced professionals, working from home is a great option to spend more quality time with family while still keeping up with their professional duties and responsibilities. They have developed a certain level of expertise and discipline which allows them to practice remote working without drastically affecting their productivity. While it provides flexibility and freedom to manage their own time, there is also a need to adhere to set routines so that personal health and productivity levels are maintained in order to prevent any implication on work performance.

Summary:

Shubham Sharma’s article on the benefits of working from home vs. working from an office provides insights into efficiency, communication, collaboration, and the overall trajectory of a person’s professional career. There are pros and cons to both outlined in this article very thoroughly. Everything from commute, flexibility, and learning and training are taken into consideration. Side hustles are becoming more popular and doable with working from home becoming more popular. Working from home can create an isolated work routine that can be detrimental, but it can also offer employees more time to spend with their families. Collaboration is an important factor in design and I will take these insights further as I continue to research and work on a team of designers/engineers.

Works Cited:

Work from home vs work from office – linkedin. (n.d.). https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/work-from-home-vs-office-qualhon