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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think there are no real, enjoyable ‘work from home’ jobs?

280 replies

AnneTwackie · 14/01/2020 21:47

I’d like to reduce my hours and do something different working from home. Everything I see looks like a scam.
Tell me your happy/horror stories.

OP posts:
CosmoK · 14/01/2020 21:51

I'm a university academic and work from home 60% of the time ( more during holidays)
Obviously it's a very specialised job though and not classed as WFH job ....it's just a huge benefit.

FuzzyPenguin · 14/01/2020 21:53

I love my work from home job, I am a content marketing manager which basically means I run the social media and other marketing for the company I work for. I do have set hours but these are flexible as long as I don’t take advantage which is great when DS is ill or I have some school thing I need to attend.
Downsides it can get lonely and I tend to find I spend my lunch breaks sorting home jobs rather taking a break but on the whole it’s really working for me.

QueenofDestruction · 14/01/2020 21:54

I have a real.job that is home based.

hotcrossbun83 · 14/01/2020 21:56

I work from home and go to the office one day a week. I work for an events company. I had lots of experience and contacts in the field and then when someone wanted to hire me I negotiated this - if you are looking for something new then I think it’s hard to find decent jobs at home, you need to find a company that want YOU so are willing to compromise

Original poster
AnneTwackie · 14/01/2020 21:57

What is it @Queenofdestruction?

OP posts:
Mrskeats · 14/01/2020 21:57

I have a real home/based job

CloudsCanLookLikeSheep · 14/01/2020 21:57

I have a job I enjoy which is home based and well paid. Its buggered up my career though, as not many jobs in my field are home based. I cant progress in my current role and am too scared to go back into an office environment if I look for another role.

iismum · 14/01/2020 21:57

DH is a software developer and works from home on highly flexible hours. He loves it - good money too. I wouldn’t though, I don’t focus well on work when I’m at home and find I’m much more productive in my office. Plus I like my colleague.

Surfskatefamily · 14/01/2020 21:58

My mum used to pack things at home...but those sortve jobs are outsourced overseas a lot now 😪

Doing something creative as a self employed person could work. Making something and etsying it. Takes a while to get up and running tho.

Soap makers seem to do ok. It depends how much money you need to make too.

Mlm stuff doesn't really make you much. Like bodyshop, scentsy etc. Seems better of you want discounts I guess rather than a wage

speakout · 14/01/2020 22:00

Yes to working at home slef employed- I make and sell craft.
Full time.

ArthurShelbysTash · 14/01/2020 22:00

I have 2 part time jobs. One is office based and the other is very flexi so I can work around the kids.
My WFH job is admin/social media based.
I know I am very lucky, I wouldn't want to do either full time I don't think!

suitepea · 14/01/2020 22:01

I work from home doing a craft based job, earn lots of money and love it

Caribbeanescape · 14/01/2020 22:02

I work part time from home as a piano teacher. I enjoy it.

Hingeandbracket · 14/01/2020 22:04

I work in IT. I have spent most of the last ten years working from home. It happened more by accident than design but it can happen

MonsterRehab23 · 14/01/2020 22:04

I’m in a civil service job which has the flexibility to work from home once you have passed the probation period. In my office we can work up to 3 days from home. I dont know what kind of work you do but in my office all grades have the ability to wfh across various roles.

I work 4 days with 1 wfh day. This gives me the flexibility to pick up my kids at 3pm then I do a few hours later in the evening. I’m a caseworker so when wfh I find I get actual work done and I can put tv/music on/ put washing on etc. It’s also good if you are feeling a bit unwell but can still work- helps reduce sickness leave. Also if kids are unwell as have flexibility to work in evening.

The drawbacks for me are: if I need help with something- I can’t always talk to the right person face to face which can affect how much work I can do. Also it’s harder to switch off as I feel sometimes like I’m constantly working.

Hope you find something that works for you.

MsTSwift · 14/01/2020 22:07

I have such a job. Work for myself providing a professional service. Love not being in an office and being there after school

lastqueenofscotland · 14/01/2020 22:08

Most people I know who work from home were offered it as a perk after a long period of service and excelling at a company

Taxiparent · 14/01/2020 22:10

I teach from home for an online school, love it!

Eloisedublin123 · 14/01/2020 22:11

I work in property and from home

BrieAndChilli · 14/01/2020 22:13

I think a lot of ‘proper’ WFH jobs are at the higher end of the pay scale, and often when someone has worked for a company for a while and has a proven track record.
WFH lower paid ‘jobs’ tend to be MLMs or zero contract stuff eg picking assignements and getting paid £5 etc

I have however had 2 lower paid WFH jobs that were actual proper jobs, employed by a company with set hours and pay etc.
One was for a virtual call centre for sky broadband. Doing first level technical support eg have you turned it off and on again, going like tests etc and passing faults into engineers.
The second was for a travel company helping thier business travel sales consultants with invoicing and reports etc and reconciling company credit card. The office was in my local city so I popped in once a month. I did only get that job because a friend of mine was the operations manager and knew I was looking for work when my youngest went to school, she worked from home mostly too so I did a lot of my training at her house. Otherwise I think the job would have had the person working from the office.

jellycatspyjamas · 14/01/2020 22:13

I run my own business from home - definitely both a proper job and nicely paid.

speakout · 14/01/2020 22:13

Most people I know who work from home were offered it as a perk after a long period of service and excelling at a company

Really?

My 5 closest friends all work from home, and are all self employed with their own start ups.
I met all of them before they became self employed.

MsTSwift · 14/01/2020 22:15

Same speakout that’s my situation too. Actually turned out to be more lucrative than a conventional job

GhostHoward · 14/01/2020 22:15

I get to work from home when I need to (school holidays/when a child is ill/expecting an important package etc.) I MUCH prefer being in the office, but the flexibility is amazing. I know how lucky I am.

It's all on the computer, and I take my work laptop home with me.

I think the "trick" is to find a real job that can accommodate home working. I was lucky that I worked for the company when it was starting out and didn't have a premises. I worked part time from home, and it grew into full time in the office, and holidays working from home most of the week (I still try to go in at least once a week in the school holidays.) Don't rely on MLM/Pyramid schemes!!

confusedandemployed · 14/01/2020 22:16

I had a 100% WFH job, it was great. I did leave recently due to lack of progression and ,frankly, a bit of boredom.
I did have to be visible online and available on the phone during my working hours so I was tied to the house. But I was able to schedule my working hours around the school run and it did fit in really well with family life.

My new job is WOTH and has its logistical challenges but plenty of WFH opportunities but no ties as before. More importantly, it's a big step up 🙂