What is so great about working from home

[MilksFavoriteCookie]

if job just a pit stop quit fussing, get paid, don't deal w/ corporate politics(all women mos def gunna be probs), and relax.

If you see this job as a career, then you are in trouble.

[ucbedge]

I echo all previous comments, but nobody has really mentioned the benefits if you have children. I found that the WFH benefit means so much more to me now that I have kids...

- Child can't go to school/daycare because they are sick? No need to take a PTO day to take care of them
- Random school holiday or "teacher in-service day" when the rest of the world has to work? No need to take a PTO day.
- Doctor or dentist appointment? You can schedule it anytime and not feel bad about leaving work.
- Our morning routine of dropping off at school/daycare is way more chill now. No rushing to get them in so I'm at work by 9AM.
- Soccer practice at 4PM? No problem!

If I didn't have kids, the WFH benefit would mean alot less to me than it does. But I do, so I stay in an underpaid position with an underqualified manager just to keep the benefit.

[Marc Paolella]

Originally Posted by anadyr21

Many people have already given good reasons. The best thing for me was the amount of time gained. I save 2-3 hours per day by not having to get dressed and commute. That's time I can spend on my hobbies or with my family, which are far more important than work.

Interestingly, for a previous job, if I had gotten promoted, I would have had to return to the office. The money I saved by not commuting, eating lunch, or getting clothes dry cleaned, would have been completely eaten up.

Another reason, which may be less typical, is when dealing with a personal illness/disability. If you have to get frequent infusions, chemo, O2, etc, that can be done at home, you may be able to do this while working at the same time. This way, there's no lost work or calling out. Can you imagine how many people with disabilities could be more productive if they were given the option to work from home (assuming they're capable, of course)?

At this point, I have little desire to return to a brick and mortar location. It would have to be a significant pay increase.

This is the main point. Control of time. Time is literally your life. When you dedicate 3-4 hours a day to commuting, you are literally tearing up your life and throwing it in the sewer. Not only the actual time lost to uselessly moving your body from point A to point B. But the fatigue that removes your after-work time from being useful. And the stress that makes you a more tired and bedraggled person after the commute.

So you throw away the 4 hours, and then you are at home in a tired and useless state where all you want to do is eat, sit in front of the stupid TV and go to bed to repeat the process all over again the next day.

Working from home is such a huge benefit, not only because the actual working conditions are great, but the fact that your non-work life is not sucked down a hole by commuting, and fatigue from commuting.

Commuting is partial suicide. Working from home actually allows gives you life.

[BicoastalAnn]

Another thing I didn't mention but that I think about when I do decide to come into the office is.... I just feel safer being at home. I live in LA and I swear I used to see an accident on the freeway at least every other day when I went in daily. It was terrifying.

And before I moved here, I lived in NY and had to commute into Manhattan via Metro-North. Well, that year a freakin' building exploded (gas line) about 5 feet from the train tracks, just one train ahead of me. We were stuck on the train for an hour. Shortly after I moved, the line I took is the one that hit the SUV and killed 7 people.

Things can happen anywhere, anytime, but I do feel a little safer not putting myself in those situations each day.

[ccm123]

Flexibility.

[Truth11]

I live in a small town now with most halfway decent opportunities being a 50 mile commute one way...that's my main reason for wanting to do it. In addition,no matter where we move being able to always have work.