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Original poster

Working from home: frustrating or is it just me?

40 replies

expatkat · 12/07/2004 16:24

I recognize that I'm lucky to have the flexibility, but I find working at home rubbish. I have the same daily interruptions/domestic responsibilities that SAHMs have (the phone, the boiler engineer, the deliveries, the door-to-door peddlers, the phone calls to arrange playdates, keeping after the shopping and the ever-present mess) and then find it terribly difficult to return to "work mode" and end up checking my email or popping on to mumsnet--things I don't tend to do if I'm working straight through on something. In addition, I have to hide from the kids! Once they see me, extricating myself is a 20-minute endeavor.

Today I organized childcare and blocked out 3 hours to work on and finish a project. After all the interruptions I had 1 hour. I did a such a crap job on it, I'm embarrassed--very unlike me not to be conscientious. Hope I don't get sacked.

Anyone else feel similarly frustrated?

PS Plus, somehow it's not seen as "real work" to others if I'm physically at home. So if MIL or SIL come to visit, I'm expected to entertain. But er. . .no one gave me holiday.

OP posts:
CountessDracula · 12/07/2004 16:25

I work from home and find it easy not to be on mumsnet all day

That is a barefaced lie

It is hard. I have no answer other than set yourself little targets eg I won't go on mumsnet until I have finished this page of my report!

spacemonkey · 12/07/2004 16:26

yes expatkat, I totally know what you mean

I've been working at home since last october and I HATE IT for all the reasons you give plus the fact that my office is in my main living area, so there's no escape at all, and frankly I work best when someone is cracking the whip

when i move later this month i'll be based in an office again and it will be a relief!

Chandra · 12/07/2004 16:28

Me, I have tried very hard for it to work but it's not working well, constant interruptions and too many distractors, guilt added because I have not worked enough during the day that I can not go to sleep in peace at night, end up staying late and nothing seems to be finished in time or with enough quality. I will happily switch it for a normal job

mrsflowerpot · 12/07/2004 16:42

me too. I feel like I do nothing as fully as I should, every aspect gets short changed. And you're right, it doesn't seem to count as 'real' work in the eyes of others.

Chandra · 12/07/2004 17:04

Well it's seems very much that working from home as ideal job is very much an utopia...

julen · 12/07/2004 17:09

Absolutely.. I hate the 'Ah-you're-working-from-home-are-you-wink-wink' comments.. Plus the feeling that you tru to do all and end up not doing one thing properly..
Having said that, I'm still glad to have the flexibility; no commuting and easier childcare counts for something too. Only wfh part of the week though, so that helps.

koo · 12/07/2004 17:21

Working from home only worked for me if I refused to even get up if the doorbell rang and never answered the home phone-line.

School and work had my mobile No so I felt confident to ignore anything else. Honestly, if you were away at work, you wouldn't answer the door to the peddlers would you?

Obviously, I hadn't discovered Mumsnet then......

Fennel · 12/07/2004 17:24

I think of working from home as an acquired skill, dp and I have both done it lots which means we at least respect each other's need to get the work done. At best, I find I am far more productive than in the office where there's lots of distraction time (people to chat to, meetings, commuting, etc). I feel I can get 8 hours work done in 6 hours at home. but that's with the children out of the house, not with in-house childcare. and making it very clear to everyone that you're not "at home" to visitors.

my friend did a phd on working from home. she found the men found it a good way of getting more work done, and the women tended to find it a good way of seeing more of the kids.

Fennel · 12/07/2004 17:27

i mean that's one thing she found, it was a lot more complex than that.... that last sentence came out far too glibly.

littlemissbossy · 12/07/2004 17:31

agree, agree, agree ... I too work from home have done since ds was born. It's really hard to concentrate with him around and it's even harder to keep off Mumsnet. But it works for me, it fits around the kids, I can wear whatever I want - no suits and I don't have the hassle of getting involved in office politics/bitchiness. Yes, sometimes a little company would be nice but generally I love being at home and dread the thought of actually going "out" to work - this from someone who was previously stressed-out die-hard workaholic... how things change

SoftFroggie · 13/07/2004 17:20

Hi,

I'm about to move from my office to work from home - the office is shutting, so I have no choice (apart from giving up my job), but I've been trying to look on the bright side - no commute, slightly more flexible, no distractions from colleagues. I work 60% PT.

I'm currently expecting my 2nd child and before the wfh thing came up was hoping to get a nanny to look after the kids at home when I return, as I've been increasing unhappy with DS's nursery. Does anyone have experience of wfh with a nanny at home? Will it work or will it be a disaster?

DH works from home, and it's taken ages for his parents to realise that he's at work, but the line is "I'm sorry, I'm at work at the moment, I can't deal with that ... yes, I know I'm physically in the back room, but I'm at home". I think I can manage the same, but it's the home-based childcare that's concerning me.

Any experiences? especially from anyone who's made it work!

Thanks.

Galaxy · 13/07/2004 17:32

message withdrawn

Chandra · 13/07/2004 17:32

Not quite sure, I'm sure Nanny will be interrupting with questions and if your DS throws a tantrum you just find it impossible to concentrate because you won't know if he is crying because he wants to wash his hands at the toilet and has not been allowed or because he has got a broken bone... You can't concentrate all the same, at least I can't...

Wifeof · 14/07/2004 10:52

I've been working at home now for 8 months, 10 hours at home, 5 hours in the office 40 miles away (my kids are at school). I definitely can't work if anyone else is in the house. I can't even have the radio on. I'm sure my work colleagues also think I watch Richard & Judy all day (or whatever it is ). The major downside though is I get left out of so many work conversations and only find out what's been going on weeks later when i ask a really stupid question. They want me to work from home though because it boosts their "alternative working practices" stats.

Trouble is, because I live in the sticks I get really lonely but I discovered mumsnet yesterday and I just know it's going to be my downfall!!

Twinkie · 14/07/2004 10:55

WIfeof - yes mumsnet is the worst if you work from home as I am today as CM is sick - DD gave her the bug so can;t be mean about her really!!

Mind you saying that I alos constantly log on at work so doesnlt really matter where you are!!

jampot · 14/07/2004 11:02

I work from home 3 days per week and have done this for several years now (although i do have to pop into the office occasionally).

Pros.
School holidays are no probs
Don't have to "dress" for the office
Enables me to take deliveries and be flexible generally.
No commuting (cost and time)
Miss out on all the office politics

Cons:
No one believes you actually "do" work from home
Miss out on all the office gossip
Part of my house becomes an office with associated paperwork/storage etc
I feel the need to work extra to justify the time spent on projects as it never looks as though I've done anything
I find "my" days being filled/taken up with "work" issues eg. contacts will call me on Thurs/Fri to discuss work related issues and I feel compelled to work
I feel like a second class employee who needs to deliver 150% to justify staying at home.

katierocket · 14/07/2004 11:10

I work from home too - 3 days a week and I am awful at discipling myself (despite having done it for 2 and half years now)

Ooooo I'll just have a quick look at mumsnet/rightmove/bbc/any old website that will stop me from having to work.

I wouldn't go back to working in an office though. Could never do it if DS was here at same time though.

motherinferior · 14/07/2004 13:21

Believe it or not, I've just written a feature proposal on 'working from home - is it all it's cracked up to be' - BEFORE I read this thread.

I like it BUT
(a) am very bad at office politics
(b) have a job I like - I mean I enjoy the type of work I do, not just the fact I'm at home to do it
(c) have outsourced childcare (I would find it VERY difficult to work with them around)
(d) am reasonably well-organised (well, not counting MN of course but that's Research )
(e) I have a separate office, and a separate office phone line
(f) am utterly clear that I am NOT AVAILABLE on Fridays and can't be contacted after about 5pm.

OTOH I absolutely loathe
(a) being on call to answer the sodding door
(b) taking deliveries - ours or anyone else's
(c) the constant assumption from other people that I just 'fit in' around the kids.

On balance, having just come back from a meeting, I would hate to work in an organisation again. But then, oooops, have a deadline (and just realised I've promised two separate clients that I'll meet two separate deadlines just after I get back from holiday - MUST MUST MUST refuse to do no work whatsoever in the three days when we're back from France but still on holiday...)

I'll let you know how the proposal goes!

katierocket · 14/07/2004 13:24

agree about taking deliveries MI - I'm like the local post office depot

katierocket · 14/07/2004 13:25

for neighbours I meant

Easy · 14/07/2004 13:29

I have to say that working from home does demand a certain discipline, and I don't think I could do it unless ds was at the childminders, he won't leave me alone if he's here (have tried it. Can't work)

But, I NEVER answer the door unless I am expecting a caller. If I'm trying to meet a deadline then I put the answering machine on, and screen my calls (we have 2 lines, one for business, one private line, don't answer the private line during 'office hours'.

I will set aside time for putting the washing in the machine, starting a casserole for dinner, etc, .

And I try VERY hard to only access mumsnet at certain times.

It is harder than people think tho'.

Easy · 14/07/2004 13:31

sorry unexpected wink.

Fennel · 14/07/2004 16:18

Jampot how are school holidays no problem? are your children quite old?

MI I like to pretend mumsnet is essential "research" too

jampot · 14/07/2004 17:55

Fennel - my kids are 11 and 7 - obviously I am at home so the kids just entertain themselves with the occasional yell for me 'cos they want to do different things...

Miaou · 14/07/2004 18:14

I work from home (as well as having a couple of very PT jobs at the local school), but I am setting up my own business rather than working for a company. DH does not work, so he is here to see to the kids when I am busy, so it works fine for me.

At the moment, becuase of where I live (remote Scottish island), working from home is neither unusual or seen as an excuse for not working, but in a few years time we will have to move to the mainland for the children's secondary schooling so I will be interested to see the reaction then! Particularly as my job is as a cross-stitch designer so I spend a lot of my work time sitting sewing!! (Does mean I can work and be sociable at the same time!).