A Pros & Cons List
Happy Friday, all! I’m way late on posting today because I suck. But whatevs, no one’s perfect. As I type this, I am currently flitting back and forth between this screen and my work screen. The news is on in the background, and I’m enjoying my post-gym coffee. This is my life every Monday-Friday, 12:00-8:00pm.
When I decided I was moving here, my boss was more than willing to allow me to continue working for the company, which was a huge weight off of my shoulders. The first few months I lived here, which was from May to November of last year, I was still on a tourist visa, so I couldn’t get a job even if I wanted to. When I came back on my official U.K. visa, granting me the right to work, I still opted to stay with the company anyway. The choice to continue working remotely was an easy one, in my case. I had a job already, why did I need to look for a new one?
Granted, working remotely is not for everyone, and a lot of companies still don’t offer this, which, I find shocking. Most jobs can be done anywhere, as long as you have a computer and a phone. Obviously, if you’re a doctor, teacher, etc., you can’t work from home. But jobs such as research, administration, and sales? All of those can be done remotely.
As I said, working remotely works well for me, but might not work for everyone else. With every job situation, there are pros and cons as to whether or not it is worth it.
PROS
Obviously, the biggest pro is that – duh – you can work from HOME (in your sweatpants, helllllll yea), or literally anywhere in the world you want
You can save on travel expenses, if you would normally need to commute to your job
Working from home is great for those that plan on starting a family, or have children – childcare costs are so expensive
There is flexibility to get things done WHILE you’re working, that you would normally have to save for either after work, or on the weekend (and who wants to do things like laundry and grocery shopping on the weekend? NOT ME.)
CONS
You do end up feeling sometimes like you are chained to your computer or phone all day – there are days when I feel like I am constantly on the phone with the office or clients. You end up going a bit stir crazy sometimes.
It can mess with your routine – I work strange hours so that it aligns with the hours I would be working, were I still in the office in New Jersey. So I start at noon, and work until 8:00 in the evening. It’s difficult at first to establish a new routine like getting up at a normal hour, making/having dinner, going to the gym, etc.
There are A LOT more distractions when you work remotely, and it can be difficult to maintain focus
Depending on your situation, the pay can be a bit tricky. Some employers will keep you on as freelance, or part time. And if you’re working abroad, there’s different taxes involved (on both sides). Tax season should be fun next year!
What are your thoughts on working remotely? Let me know in the comments below!
xx Lauren
