The Benefits

What’s driving the trend is savings. Employers that don’t have the overhead of maintaining an office space, parking and other expenses can save a lot of money. A firm called Global Workplace Analytics has a division called the Telework Research Network, and it claims that federal employees who worked from home on snow days saved the government $32 million in 2014.

Of course, the magic doesn’t happen on its own. A firm needs to give considerable thought to its expectations and work structure to accommodate the lack of a physical presence. Employees, for their part, have to maintain contact with the home office, keeping colleagues abreast of their project progress and being available during normal work hours for consultation.

But here’s the thing – while working from home has its benefits, it also can cause workers to lapse into some unhealthy habits. Here are a few that might manifest themselves if you find yourself laboring from your living room.

The Pitfalls of the Home Office

1)    Longer Hours – Because you’re always at the office, the temptation to work is always there. That’s great for your productivity, but not so good for your family or social life. A healthy life includes a work-play balance, and having the siren call of paperwork so readily at hand is hard to resist for some.

2)    Eating Habits – People in the office have defined work hours, and it’s noticed if you frequently slip away to the company cafeteria or soda machine. But at home, everything is within easy reach – last night’s cold pizza, which you wouldn’t bring to the office normally, is there and waiting for you morning, noon and night.