A lot of people are tweeting and blogging about the fact that Yahoo and Best Buy have decided against letting people work from home. I am not sure why people are so surprised about this.
If you want to work from home, you need to start your own business. Period.
I can see this debate from both sides. The companies claim that they want employees to be together to increase collaboration, etc. The truth is, they’re paying you, and they want to make sure they are getting what they are paying for.
They don’t want you to be chilling out on your couch, looking at Facebook while watching Live! With Kelly And Michael at 9am. They don’t want you to be driving across town to pick up your child from school at 3pm. They want you in the office.
I know from personal experience that you can collaborate with people through phone, email, Skype, etc. Modern technology really has eliminated the need for most people to be in a traditional office setting.
As someone who works from home, I can tell you that yes, there are plenty of days when I’m watching Good Morning America or whatever is on in the morning. And there are several days per week that I’m in the parent pick-up line at 3pm to pick up my nephew from school.
There are also many nights and weekends when I’m working. I fit my work in around my family and my life, and that is what works for me.
I know a woman who was not offered a paid maternity leave, so she worked from home after her child was born. Yes, a paid maternity leave would have been ideal, but in the situation that the woman was in – being able to work from home and maintain an income was wonderful. And as a busy mom, this woman has been able to “make up” time at home for time she missed in the office, due to doctor appointments, etc. Unfortunately, that is being taken away, as her company is following in the footsteps of Yahoo and Best Buy.
As more and more people are losing the flexibility that their companies once offered, I feel that more and more people are going to look into starting their own businesses or look into freelancing.
It really is the only way to own your own time and create your own schedule.