With the current coronavirus outbreak, the entire Luzon has been placed under “Enhanced Community Quarantine” for almost a month. Many organizations are increasingly adopting telecommuting or work-from-home arrangements to mitigate threats from further transmitting the coronavirus disease in the country. As the outbreak has grown, more and more companies are encouraging employees to stay at home and operate work-from-home arrangements. Our company is one of those who responded. I feel lucky to be able to work from home.
Honestly, I do not hate the idea of working from home. I feel that home is meant for fun things and the office for work. I do not fault anyone who loves the idea of working from home. Besides, we are all different and unique in many ways.
I can focus on getting work done when I am in the office. Here are the reasons why work from home is not for me.
No Dedicated Work Area
Working from home is a perk for some people, but not when you live and pay rent for a small apartment where you have no space for desk or chair. While working in a bed sounds great, a desk, proper lighting, and a comfortable chair would be perfect for a productive day. Meanwhile, I am using a Megabox container as my desk and my bed as my chair.
More Stressful
Working from home is more stressful, more intense work pace, more vulnerable to working long hours, and higher performance expectations. I cannot count the number of times I have been handling separate discussions at the same time, which can make me stressed, especially when I still have tasks to complete by the end of the day.
Temptations are Everywhere
Home is filled with many distractions. When you are working from home, you are ostensibly free of distractions like chattering and singing coworkers. But being home, I feel obligated to do more household chores— clean the entire apartment, wash the dishes, dispose the garbage, and so on.
Hard to Separate Personal and Work
It is harder to switch off when your personal life and work are under the same roof. You sleep at home, and you are working at home. Establishing a line between work and home is tough. We have to find a way to distinguish between being “at work” and being “at home.”
I cannot wait to go back to work. I wonder how people who work from home manage all of these. For now, I will stay at home as long as the health authorities advise.
What challenges have you overcome?