Working from Home – Sociological Aspects

Working from home is not a new concept. Over the years I’ve heard a number of people ask me, “Is working from home a scam?” It seems hard to believe, for some, that working from home could be an option.

Back before the Industrial Revolution, most people worked from their own homes, building things individually, running a shop and living above the shop. When big industry required many workers and a steady paycheck, people went to work in a centralized location. It became the place where as long as a person did well, the employers kept you at the job until it became time to retire. It meant security.

However, more people are now realizing how working full time, plus over time, in order to make ends meet can lead to more stress, and an unhappy life. Often we can work less simply by working at home. The option to work from a home office is now easier to accomplish, thanks to high speed internet and new technologies. Not everyone can work from home, but for those who want to, may be able to.

Misconceptions about the Work at Home Life

There are many misconceptions about the work at home life. First, many believe that employees or self employed people who work at home earn less than someone who works in an office. In many cases, this isn’t true. Often pay rates are the same, or on rare occasions a dollar or two shorter than the brick and mortar paycheck. There are significant saving benefits as well, such as gas, day care, clothes, eating out, etc.

Types of Work at Home Jobs

Self-employed entrepreneurs are often thought of when considering working from home. However, customer service reps, writers, transcriptionists, accountants, consultants and many other types of employees are working from home, and more are finding ways to follow suit. If you work mostly within the confines of an office environment, especially from a computer, there’s more of a chance that the job could be done from home.

Getting From the Office to the Home Office

The transition is usually overwhelming at first, as people aren’t used to having a boss behind them to tell them exactly what to do. This is where research comes in handy, from setting up a home office in your own private work space at home to setting office hours to applying for work-at-home positions. Most work-at-home jobs require that you use your own computer equipment, and your job may require an additional phone line.

Studies show that productivity increases from 20 to 40 percent when people work at home because employees based out of the house work at their peak times with fewer interruptions and distractions, have more freedom from peer pressures and productivity norms, spend less time and energy dealing with the commuting.
— SOURCE Adecco Staffing US

Family Support or Family Misconceptions

Often enough, an issue to deal with when working from home is the support of family and friends. Often, many people don’t understand the concept, and feel like a work at home position may be unstable. No job is 100 percent stable, and a work-at-home job is just like any other job. You have to do the work, but it is real work, and you do get paid, and as long as you are good at you work, you can continue with the company.

It’s not just family. Employers are often reluctant to allow employees to work from home. Some are saying it shows lack of control in the workplace.

Workers constantly want to not have fixed hours, to work at home, and to have much flexibility in their schedules. Unfortunately, this contributes to a less structured and diffuse environment that contributes to less self-control. Employers (like parents) have to set boundaries and limits. A young employee cannot grow and develop without boundaries and limits. Employers seem to think that productivity increases with flexibility because workers are happier. Slosar points out that the primary culprit in declining self-control reflected in increased risk-taking and cheating, is the lack of boundaries and limits. He states: “In an era that prized deregulation, we have deregulated our internal mechanisms of self-control.” — SOURCE Jay Slosar

Making employees happy makes them more likely to cheat? Some employers feel the need, still, to analyze everything an employee does. Even in the work at home environment, some employees have to deal with digital cameras as supervisors watch them during work hours. Some may think they’re keeping everyone in check. My opinion: Control freaks just don’t know how to let go.

When you’re in the office, no one ever doubts whether you’re working or not. You could be balancing your checkbook, but the fact that you’re there is a reassurance. When you work at home, people don’t really believe that you’re working. So a common reaction is to say, “I will respond to every email within 30 seconds. I will be on my computer again at the end of the evening, so that when people come in they will see stuff waiting for them.” It becomes another source of stress. — SOURCEJennifer Reingold

Sociological Aspects of Working from Home

Working from home allows more free time of an individual, there’s no longer a work commute. However, you may feel a lack of work comradeship, something many people often enjoy. Working from home often appeals to socially shy people. If you happen to be more sociable and enjoy chatting, there are online forums for those who work at home, and there may be local groups that meet up to discuss business or issues relating to the work-at-home life.

Give yourself a regular “sanity check” by setting aside some time each week to get the human contact you need before minor feelings of loneliness turn into a real depression. Learn how to get the support you need to fight off feelings of isolation. — SOURCE BNet

In the end, I feel there’s a human balance system. Not everyone can work from home. Some need a boss to tell them what to do every day. On the other hand, there are many who will work well in a less controlled environment, with more flexible hours. Yes, there are those who take advantage of a work situation, however, I don’t think they are the majority.