Amayzine

To work from home or not to work from home

I find it a curse and a blessing. At my previous employer, we were almost forced to work from home because they simply provided too few workspaces. For me, it was nice because I was really at the front of the line when our cup of work ethic and Calvinistic work attitude was filled. Finally, I didn't feel guilty. Although... I was always happy when it was 5:30 PM on my work-from-home day. I felt a bit guilty all day towards my children (how often can you responsibly let a child watch Barbapapa?) and towards my employer because yes, I did occasionally start a load of laundry in between.

In the meantime, I have my own business where I, in combination with three daughters and a dog, also sometimes have to work from home. I wish the people who work for us this pleasure from time to time as well. Although I prefer everyone together, under one roof. Purring and bubbling, inspiring each other with many stories and yes, also doing each other's hair or painting nails and looking at the just delivered MyTheresa’s and Zara items. Or returning them.

Anyway. Working from home. It is still not completely accepted. That’s why I conducted Daily News: Men are unhappy when they earn less than their female counterpart: Amayzine.com a survey and it showed, for example, this.

  1.  37% of colleagues think that people who work from home work less hard than people in the office.
  2.  Home workers are much more often than their colleagues in the office busy with personal matters. A touch of Facebook, a message here, a message there, and oh well, let me just order from Albert.nl. 87 percent versus 75 percent.
  3. Working women are, by the way, much less engaged in personal activities during their work-from-home time than men. So the above is mainly caused by men. Thanks, huh.
  4.  Men admit to finding themselves less productive at home. Forty percent of men say that. For women, it’s only 33 percent.
  5. Men say they are more easily distracted at home while women experience that much less.
  6. Women have much more self-discipline to work, men seem to need the group pressure of the office.
  7. Home workers are less reachable than people in the office.
  8. It is quite accepted that you also occasionally do a household chore when you work from home. At the office, you also sometimes grab a round of coffee or chat for ten minutes, after all.

Conclusion from me, not from the researchers: women are (again) better at this. But hey, what’s new?