7 reasons for not working from home

Computer programmers don't need to go in to the office to get their jobs done. As long as they have access to the internet (so they can use instant messaging to stay in contact) and plenty of coffee (helps to counteract the effects of a low-fibre diet) they can write away in their strange foreign languages pretty much anywhere.

But there are still reasons to commit to the daily commute. Jim Buckmaster, the CEO of Craigslist, tells Management Today one of them: "Even the most introverted techie likes to have people around to withdraw from." In other words, if you don't come in to work, your colleagues don't know that you're ignoring them.

If you'd like to know more about Buckmaster's approach to management, take a look at Carol's interview and podcast with him here. If you want more reasons not to work from home, keep reading.

1. No more office romance. It's hard to have illicit groping sessions in the stationery cupboard when you keep your spare Post-Its in the cupboard under the sink.

2. Possible internal injuries. In most workplaces, one's tea or coffee consumption is limited by the knowledge that each time you put the kettle on you'll have to take orders from at least eight colleagues. This makes brewing up a hassle, which in turn means we only do it if a pounding caffeine-withdrawal headache makes it unavoidable. Work from home, however, and it's possible to drink so much tea that your swollen bladder will push your other internal organs out through your nose.

3. Destruction of all work friendships. Home workers have no colleagues or customers around to distract them, meaning that they can get far more done than their office-bound peers. This is very bad, as managers will start to expect the same level of productivity from everyone.

4. Obesity. For most of us, the walk from train station or car park to desk is the only exercise we get. Lose that, add easy-access Jaffa Cakes and it won't be long until you find your thighs melding with the plastic of your office chair, a little like the unfortunate woman who lived on her boyfriend's toilet for several years.

5. Falling out of love with daytime television. Trisha is a sinful delight when a hangover forces you to lie to your boss and spend the day on the sofa. That delight will last precisely one day before self-loathing kicks in; day 2 is the televisual equivalent of waking up with a one night stand and realising that he looks like your dad.

6. Falling into religion. Spend enough time alone and any human contact begins to look good, even if it comes wrapped in pamphlets about salvation and brandishing a holy book.

7. Unexpected pregnancy. While there are some clear biological limits to this risk, anyone who lives with someone who is capable either of knocking them up or being impregnated by them should take great care should you both end up working from home on the same day. A "workplace" shag may sound like a good way to kill the boredom but it can have far-reaching baby-related effects. Plus whoever ends up with their back on the spare scouring pads might be left with a nasty scar.

Comments

[Gaithersburg, MD]

I would rather call it 7 excuses for not working from home. I personally spend 3 hours of my life for the useless commute. This is like 16 days a year simply wasted. In addition to that I have to spend over $12 a day (metro and metro parking in Washington DC are cost that much) plus cost of gas to driving to and from metro. That’s like extra $1500 a year. I would rather spend that time with my family.

Let’s take a look at the big picture. I am not alone. Every major city in our country suffers from traffic jams. We have to supply heat, electricity, and resources to our homes as well to the places of work. Isn’t a waste? Everyone is for conservation of natural and energy resources but we continue to burn gas in our vehicles sitting in traffic. The simple solution is right here. Stop commuting to work. Work from home. Technology is out there. What we need is a national approach to the solution. I think our country is ready for a paradigm shift.

[Chris]

I searched for and found this article because I have been so dissatisfied working at an office that I wanted to know how I could make my dream of having my own business at home a reality. Most of your points above can be disputed: most companies in this area frown upon office romance so it's rare that it happens anyway; the internal injuries point is nonsense because addictions are addictions--you will find a way to feed them no matter where you are; on average, most people have only one or two people (if that many) they could call true friends at work--it's mostly ass-kissing with the rest; look at any office and you'll see mostly cubicles--not much of a chance for exercise there--and the 5-6 minute walk to your car might lose you one ounce/day if you're lucky; what is it with all these work 'n sex references? [note from Carly: two sentences have been deleted from this comment]