Do people make you feel guilty if you work from home? (employees, career)

[Casey Ryback]

At my job, my group has this agreement that we can work from home one day a week. Our mainly handles database design and support. Since our group is so small, it's fairly easy to alternate days. However, people outside of work tend to look down on me a bit when they know (I don't necessarily tell everyone) I remote in one day a week. They say that I must have a joke job or that it's bad for my long term career because I won't be near the most powerful people.

However, there are a few reasons why it's very justifiable to work from home.

- I can start earlier and leave later. I'm not subject to transportation issues so for those early 830 meetings, I can easily call in on time.
- My company is dispersed across the US. Most people we deal with work in different buildings or states. Our actual office space is in a fairly secluded area. Whether we're working from home or in the office, most people we interact with don't do so in person. That's why we have phones.
- Obvious reasons like if I have a doctor's appointment or need to get something done at a place that doesn't have hours on the weekends, etc.
- My commute is 90 minutes each way so working from home not only breaks up the week a bit but also makes arguably the worst part of the job (the commute) bearable.

Technology has improved over the past 10 years and I think working from home seems to be a bit more common now, but for some reason, many people oppose it. Is it just caveman mentality and that the ones who oppose it are too old-school? Or are there any other valid reasons? Fear of unproductiveness is a legitimate issue, but there are ways to see that .

[confusedasusual]

People try to make you feel badly if you are allowed to work from home and they are not. We have a policy that covers all employees and allows them to telework 2 days per pay period so long as they have training in what is expected and are not employees with disciplinary problems. Where I am at, you need to take off for a doctor's appointment or caregiving for a family member.

If you are not regularly in the office, it CAN be detrimental to your career growth as people tend to forget about you and you don't often have the same opportunity to showcase leadership or other skills that might allow you to move up. But one day a week seems fine to me.

[ccm123]

My current job is field sales, so it is expected that I work from home or the field. I did have a prior position where I was allowed to work from home (per approval from hiring manager), but co-workers did not like it (dysfunctional working environment).

[groar]

people who look down on working from home are dinosaurs who don't understand how a lot of jobs work these days. you have nothing to be ashamed of, and being out of the office for 1 day a week is not going to disconnect you from the higher-ups there.

people who are trying to make you feel guilty are picturing you taking a day off from work, not working from home. just ignore them.

[Gatornation]

I can work from home when I want and do it about once every two weeks currently. When friends and family hear this they often make the same assumption. It basically boils down to them being envious.

[maus]

At most companies, working from home is often considered a privilege and some of those who do not have the privilege are sometimes jealous.

[Wry_Martini]

I have been known to make people feel guilty when they choose to work from home (without good reason.. Illness, injury, furniture delivery) on days where there are either meetings they really need to attend in person rather than dial in, or job tasks that cannot be adequately done remotely.

I don't care on the days when nothing requires their physical presence. Shoot, it means the lines for the espresso machine are shorter and I have a better shot at getting a good parking space!

I have a few coworkers who abuse our work from home policy, and I just hope their abuse doesn't ruin it for everyone.

[sware2cod]

When I work from home, I focus on work.

No TV, no radio, no washing clothes or doing things around the house. No talking on the phone for personal reasons. No heading to the doctor unless I tell the manager that there is an appt and I would be out of the office for that time. No childcare or walking the dog on company time.

Family members know not to call during working hours. Lunch time is the typicall alloted time and not a minute more.

My co-workers are on IM and sudden unplanned meetings and sudden IM messages/responses occur throughout the day.

There is a heavy workload and it gets done, quickly and efficiently.

Working from home saves on the commute time and it allows you to dress casually. But it sure doesn't allow you to slack on your work, that's for sure. Quite the opposite.

[INTN]

I'm self-employed and ALWAYS work from home :-) I think some people wonder whether I actually even work, but I don't care. I agree that if you work for a company that allows telecommuting, people are likely envious that they can't telecommute as well.

[SabresFanInSA]

I have worked from home for going on 4 years. People make comments like "must be nice" and to be honest it is nice that I can grocery shop during my lunch hour but I remind them that literally the only human I talk to face to face is my wife and my daughter on a daily basis.

You dont realize how much you miss the little things. My mom asked me "are you watching The Voice" and I told her that things like that are no fun to watch if there is no one to talk to about them. You dont realize how much you miss the little things like "watercooler talk" by working from home.

I have actually explored going back into the office. Just havent made a decision on it yet