Working at home and making it work?

[Laura]

Hi everyone, I know we have a number of people on this board who work from home and I wondered if you had any tips on making it a success. My company has recently decided to "homebase" those in my position and I am very excited about it. However, the few months I worked from home a few years ago, I was never as productive as I wanted to be. I think it will be different this time, given my position, but I would appreciate any advice you have. The one down side is that my "office" will be in my bedroom until I buy a new home.

[sjs9601]

Laura - I've been working from home for a little over a year. My DH's job changes in the past year have taken us from Ohio to Colorado and now to WI. Fortunately, I've had a very understanding employer and has allowed me to continue my project work while working remotely.

Here's what I've learned through the experience:
- you have to establish a routine and carve out time for you. I was already used to working out every morning before arriving at the office and I did not want to sacrifice this. (I also tried switching my workout to the afternoons and found I just didn't do it).
- Expect that you won't work as many hours as you would if you were in the office. You don't have the commute, the distractions, etc. - don't beat yourself up about this - it takes a while esp if you're used to working long hours.
- invest in good office furniture and ergonomics. I tried working from a folding table with a cheapo chair and my back and neck quickly started to protest. I convinced my boss to buy a decent chair (not cheap!) and when we moved to WI I bought some office furniture from Techline. Having the right tools has made a huge difference!
- I'm fortunate in being able to still travel back to my Ohio based office about every 3 weeks. That gives me a nice break from my no commute (we're in a 2 bedroom duplex right now and my commute is the doorway of one bedroom to another) and some social interaction.
- I'm always ready to come back to my home office, because I get so much more accomplished. However, the "face" time gives me the social interaction I miss (much more than I thought I would!)

I've talked from time to time about giving it up and finding a local job, but the money is good, I have a lot of scheduling flexibility and am can still make a significant contribution.

Good Luck! Sandy

[KValley]

Laura,

I've been telecommuting for the past year and 1/2. The first several months were hard- I went from a job with a high amount of interaction with colleagues, students, faculty, supervising a staff, never-a-dull-moment atmosphere to the quiet of a home office. I do travel quite a bit during the academic year and meet lots of different people, but it's not the same as developing more stable relationships with colleagues. I visit my head office in Atlanta 2-3x a year (which is plenty since I hate making that trip) and keep in daily phone/e-mail contact with my team in Atlanta and London.

Now that I am accustomed to this rhythm, I know I will have a VERY hard time going back to an 8-5! I love the flexibility, the low stress level, the shorter workday. It suits me- I'm an independent person with a bit of a loner streak and I need a lot of alone time- the job as worked out really well in that regard.

I say AMEN to everything that Sandy has said, with a couple of additions:

*Clarify with your employer what expenses they will cover. For example, I had a second phone line installed for a fax- my school pays for this, my cell phone, my cable internet connection, . They set me up with a FEDEX account, provided me with a laptop, printer, fax. Do they have a corporate card to give you for your expenses? I opened up a second credit card on my own to use only for business expenses- I like getting the frequent flyer miles- but of course this means submitting detailed expense reports for my travel and for office expenses. Not a problem, it just takes care in keeping receipts, etc. I also charge them for the interest that accrues on the card as I wait for reimbursement.

*WOrk space is very important. I know you are limited to having your office in your bedroom, but when you are able to make the change, create a space for yourself that is separate from other distractions, noise, interruptions and where work won't be a distraction to the rest of your life at home. Maybe you can buy a standing screen (a folding thing) to separate your desk from the rest of your bedroom. It will be too tempting to work when you should be sleeping. I need space that separates me from other distractions and which allows DH to feel comfortable having the stero on, watching a movie, or making noise on one end of the house and not disturbing me as I work at the other.

*Set limits, separating your work life from home life. FOr me, this meant the 2nd credit card to keep business from muddling personal expenses; a separate e-mail account for personal e-mails (also keeps me focused on work during the day, since I can't access my personal e-mail from my laptop, although I can get on the BB :p). It also meant saying "no" to my sister-in-law when she felt that my at-home status meant I could babysit during the day at her convenience. A few times of saying no and explaining that I had work commitments and a need to keep to a regular schedule and the requests ended. Turning the cell phone off at the "end" of my work day, shutting down the laptop and not checking work e-mail over the weekend.

*Find ways to get out and interact with others every day. For me, this is the gym, church, going into town on some mundane errand every day, just to get out of the house, volunteering when I can (which is hard, given my travel schedule). During the summer and the period between THanksgiving and end of January months when I don't travel, I got into the habit of going to a cafe several times a week for a latte and to write in my journal , simply to get out, see friendly faces, engage in conversation.

Blathered on long enough- these are just some of the things I've learned! Feel free to ask anything. It's a very different animal- ups and downs like any job, but overall I think it's great!

Cheers,

Julie

[nmody]

I have an office at home as well as traveling throughout the day, but for the am conference calls, etc... I always make sure that I wake up and am showered and dressed for work before I go into my office. Office time is work time (and we don't go to work in our pajamas!!). I find it makes me a lot more effective when I am dressed to work. Also, do the things you would normally do in an office environment....take a lunch break, and work normal work hours (8-5). I have a separate computer where I check my home email & BB stuff....just to make sure I don't go into the "office" on the evenings and weekends! Good luck to you...I think you will love it!!

[Natasha]

Hi Laura!

I am glad that they decided to homebase you guys, since I recall that you were hoping for that. :)

As I think you already know, I occasionally work from home (about one day a week) and love it! As time goes on I get better and better at channeling my energies and focus. My work-at-home days are among my most productive, because in my position, when I am in the office, I get asked a lot of questions, give guidance, and attend a fair number of meetings. At home, I can put my head down, and mainly use the time to write ... and write ... and write! :D

I keep to the same schedule as my office hours to make things easier, and set very definite, ambitious yet realistic goals of what I plan to accomplish in a particular day. This keeps me going and I get a certain satisfaction every time a goal is achieved. Also, I have a quiet, bright workplace with a good computer, which is important. Other plus factors include better lunches, more flexibility to run, or go for a walk in the neighbourhood during lunchtime, and especially being able to call it quits at whatever time and go right into your kitchen and start making dinner (or whatever)! :)

I would invest in good office equipment, as others have mentioned, and also in whatever it takes to make your work environment pleasant, welcoming, and productive - fun accessories, bright colours, a stack of appealing CDs that you only listen to while working...whatever makes you tick.

Best of luck, and I hope things are fine with you generally.
Natasha

[Laura]

Thanks for your replies everyone. The company will pay for the extra line, cell phone and $300 yearly allowance at Office Max, plus the computer. I actually am quite excited about it and believe that I will likely be more productive at home, but still appreciate the tips.

Coming to the board right now has been a good diversion as I was awoken at 6:00 a.m. his morning by the landlord of my apartment complex letting me know that their maintenance garage caught on fire and oh by the way some of the stuff in my garage may be damaged as well. Fortunately my car wasn't in there and photos only have minimal damage, but a lot of stuff is "toast" and the apartment complex has been anything but helpful. What a fun day :rolleyes: Reason number 679 as to why I am moving!

[Jodi]

Everyone's given great replies. I've worked at home for a couple years now and LOVE it. I never thought I'd miss the gossip and everything at work, but I find that I do miss the interaction with people (not necessarily the gossip...) so I try to get out once a day just to speak to people face to face, etc. I guess it depends on what your profession is whether you'll travel to meetings and see people that way, have clients in the home office (well, after you move and your office isn't your bedroom!), etc. I'm a writer, so my work is very solitary except when I'm in the research and conduct interviews stage of proejcts. I find that getting out -- even if it's just to run to the store for a loaf of bread -- helps.

Aside from that, you'll figure out a routine that suits you, and it's much easier to stick with it than I expected it would be. I've done a lot of the separation-type stuff that Julie mentioned: separate phone line, separate credit card, etc. I don't give out my business number to friends and family (except DH and my parents, just in case of an emergency...), and I simply close my office door during the day -- even though I'm the only one here. It really makes it easier, IMO, to separate life from work.

Good luck! Let us know how you're doing.
Jodi