Every now and then when Mr Wallace is travelling, I work from home. It’s not always brilliant, the computer system is clunky and it’s kind of lonely. There are however some surprising perks of working from home. Here’s my top 11.
1. There’s no need to dress up
I work with a bunch of lawyers. Most of them are very trendy 20-somethings. The pressure to look the part is fairly intense. Being able to work in jeans is a novelty.
2. You don’t have to put on makeup
When you are a sleep deprived mother of three, you don’t always have radiant skin or a clear complexion. Makeup is obviously not compulsory, but when you work with a bunch of pretty young things, makeup becomes less optional. Without it you look haggard. One of the perks of working from home? There is no one to care about how haggard you look.
3. You can visit your regular coffee haunt
I know my local barista. He knows me and my order. He makes good coffee. When I work from home, I pick up a coffee after child care drop off. That coffee makes me immensely happy. Coffee from the cafe at the base of my building is far less joyous.
4. There are no interruptions
My colleagues are great. In fact, one of the best things about returning to work after maternity leave is the adult interaction. But sometimes you need to get shit done. Then the phone rings or someone appears at your desk wanting to chat. I’m only in the office 5 days a fortnight. I have to churn the work out. Sometimes ticking things off the to do list is easier at home without the interruptions.
5. When you take a break you can do a household chore
I don’t know about you, but at work if I feel my brain frying, I take a break by looking at something else on my computer. When your eyes start glazing over at home, it’s so simple to pop a load of washing on or sweep the floor. Another of the perks of working from home, if it suddenly rains, you can rescue the washing.
6. You can snack without judgement
My current office is the most health conscious environment I have ever worked in. There’s always someone on the 5:2 diet, or eating Paleo, or some other food fad that I am not up with. Even the emails about cake in the kitchen come with caveats like ‘it’s gluten free but does contain dairy, sorry’! When you work at home there’s no one watching on as you eat a chocolate bar or a salted caramel cookie. You can snack without judgement!
7. When you make a cup of tea the water is boiling
My office has those taps that dispense filtered hot and cold water. The problem is, the hot water isn’t at boiling point. Pesky health and safety laws. Black tea, made with not quite boiling water isn’t great. At home you can get that water boiling hot and then sip on a much better cup of tea.
8. You are home if the delivery guy comes
If I’m out when the delivery guy comes it inevitably means a trek to the post office to collect a parcel with the boys in tow. Which they LOVE! If I am working from home and the delivery guy comes it’s a double bonus. a) I am there to receive the parcel and there’s no trip to the post office and b) Mr Wallace remains unaware of the purchase. Winning!
9. There’s no commute to the office
I catch the train to work. It’s not a huge commute but add in a school drop off and dropping off two kids at childcare, and it feels like you’ve run a marathon before you even make it to the office. When you’re working from home the morning is less stressful. You can plonk yourself at the dining table once the drop offs are done (wearing comfy clothes, no makeup, coffee in hand) without having to scramble to catch a train and appear cool, calm and collected in the office.
10. You can audibly swear
There’s a certain level of decorum required in an office. Swearing isn’t necessarily welcome. One of the 11 perks of working from home is you can swear at your computer screen without strange looks being cast in your direction. No one cares when you exhale and loudly exclaim “for fucks sake” at the latest all staff email about training, raffles, social club events or system outages. Plus swearing at the screwed up things people to to kids makes a great alternative to sobbing.
11. You can poo without fear
It’s fair to say I have nervous bowel syndrome*. I can’t poo on a public toilet. In fact, I struggle to poo on a strange toilet. By strange toilet, I mean any toilet that’s not my home toilet. I can go for long periods of time without pooping. A weekend away, no chance I’ll poo on the hotel toilet. Once I’ve developed a rapport with the toilet, then perhaps. It usually takes a good while. Minimum four days. Pooping at work is not an option for me, I can’t do it. There are cubicles. When you suffer nervous bowel syndrome it is impossible to poo while someone you vaguely know is next to you. But, at home, I am safe to poo. More than you ever needed to know about my toilet habits, but there you have it!
What are your favourite perks of working from home? Is pooping without fear on your list? What about snacking without judgement?
*not an actual medical condition.
Love all these! My favourite of these would have to be the ability to catch up on household chores, like washing, cooking dinner (yay for a Thermomix!). I also love not having to pay for parking, and that I can walk around my house exercising while I’m in a teleconference 😜
Gosh Lise, I remember there being HUGE controversy at the mere suggestion of making people pay for parking near my old office in Canberra!
I get to choose the music!
Is there music in your office? Sounds much more modern than mine!
Open plan office – Smooth FM for everyone!
Yikes, I’d find any excuse I could to work from home!
Great list! I love listening to my own music (Loudly!) or a podcast. Also I’ll very occasionally have a nanna nap 😉
I’m not quite game enough to have a nanna nap! But back when I was young and um, unencumbered, I had the occasional nap in my office, under the desk!
Bahahaha you can poop without fear. For most women, this is very true. Just started working from home and many of these I live by
Maybe nervous bowel syndrome is an actual medical condition after all!
Lol only a few of these I consider actual benefits. Like, if I take a break I can do a chore.
*I don’t want to work anymore, I’m going to get up and do something else…. oh god… there is a pile of dishes…. and laundry…. and the floor is a mess… maybe I should get back to work instead.*
Oh yes Rachel, sometimes the actual work is preferable to the household chores.
Definitely some good perks there- had to laugh at the last one, I’m exactly the same!
Well I am so glad I am not the only one with a temperamental bowel!
Number 11 😂😂😂 yes!!!
Amy, you too?
These are so funny. I did laugh at number 11! I suffer with this too!
Another one with nervous bowel syndrome Cathy! Who knew it was such a thing?!?
Haha this is the best list, I nodded along with all of them! There is something very satisfying about putting the washing on in your break, being home for deliveries, and working sweatpants.
Thanks Jess! Yes, the perks of working from home can’t be understated.
Love it, especially the coffee from the place you know and love. And the snacks, OF COURSE!
I’m happy I am not the only one who focuses on coffee and food Cristin xx
Snacking without judgment 🙂 I constantly graze throughout the day, and occasionally enjoy a red frog binge! And being able to pop the washing machine on.
I am a grazer too! I tend to binge on a few rows of chocolate here and there.
8 & 11!! I am not the best at working from home but now it comes with the territory so I best get used to it!
Working from home does have it’s challenges, but embrace 8 and 11 Karin xx
I worked at home last week and even with the clunky remote access software I got ALL THE THINGS done. It was amazing. I’m not a fan of my long commute so I wish I could do it more often and not just in rare circumstances.
Getting ALL THE THINGS DONE rocks! Commuting is tedious. Hooray to working from home Vanessa.
I am famous for my toilet aversion at work so I am with you on that one! I used to be so bad I couldn’t even go if someone else was in there. That’s eased but still not up for pooping.
Well it seems I am certainly not alone with my nervous bowel syndrome!
Haha. I used to have number 11 but these days I just don’t care.
I work from home when I need to and it takes so much stress away. Although we have soft phones on our laptops now with video calls which means I now have to put some make up on! Xx
There’s hope for me yet! Those soft phones would freak me out.
Haha, these are brilliant.
Thanks Vikas! If only I could work from home more often.