Homeworking, how is it/was it for you?

[Winnie]

Reviewing all the options at the moment I wondered how many of you have worked or do work from home, and what your experiences were/are, good and bad. Thanks in advance...

Hi Winnie,
I work from home and I love it. I've got 2 and 3/4 year old twins and I love seeing them in the day - when they come back from an outing they rush into my office and give me a hug - I tuck them in for their daytime nap and am always home for bathtime. At the beginning it was a bit tricky when they would try and come in a lot but they soon learnt that Mummy has to work and they don't come in much.
I do find that to some extent you don't get away from your work - I find myself at the computer most evenings but I don't really mind, cos it makes me feel less guilty about taking off the odd 20 minutes to play with the kids. I'm self-employed, which I think is easier than working for a company as they probably think that every time the sun comes out you're working on your tan rather than your computer. But I'd still go for it. I think it's a very good option for parents.

I work from home 3 days a week now and it's wonderful. Instead of a 2.5 hour commute each way, seeing my children for only 30 minutes a day, I get to spend that time getting the boys up and breakfasted and then dropping them at nursery/collecting them afterwards. During the day I can nip downstairs (office is in the top of the house) and throw the washing on or sort through the post etc which gives me even more time during the evenings and weekend. As we're in the process of refurbishing our house it means there's also someone at home to supervise workmen and deliveries. Very useful. I do feel a little cut off socially sometimes but as I'm in the office for 2 days a week I still get some social interaction. I don't think I could concentrate as well if my children weren't cared for outside the house though and certainly some form of childcare is essential I find. I also find that I save money by working from home. I don't have to spend on smart work clothes/lunches/public transport.

I'm now trying to push for 5 days a week from home!

I too am looking at the options available for working from home, I would happily consider anything. All suggestions or offers of a job grateful.

HMonty, what you say mirrors my experience of home-working. I have been down that route too with my current employer a few years ago, and really valued the flexibility it gave to my working week. So why am I now in the office almost every Monday to Friday?

Here's why. My company is large and on the whole a 'good employer'. When I joined the company it was smaller and less structured. My agreed written contract gave me the right to work from home a set number of days a year. This arrangement was informal - no set days, as and when it suited the department and dependant on my workload. No real problem as long as my mangers were happy with the arrangement- and for a long while they were.

However, this right was never extended to other staff, and understandably this caused friction and jealousy. It was no good me saying I had a baby. So did many others. Like me, lots of my fellow workers spend do things that are quite self-contained - writing, designing etc, but as the company has grown, the requirement for us to be in the office at all times has grown also.

I have now agreed to work from home infrequently, if at all. I know I couldn't continue to hold out for my original working arrangement in the current company climate. I feel sad about this and guilty regarding the reduction of time I can spend with my sons, but I really have no option.

So if anyone is thinking of home working while being employed by a company, I would advise you to first check whether home working is already part of the company culture.

I can sympathise with your position Tigermoth. After I had my baby, I made it clear that I was only returning to work on the basis of a 4 day week. I did so because our hours are a minimum of 7am - 6pm which, including commuting, would have meant our son being in childcare for a minimum of 60 hours a week (and obviously would have involved 2 forms of childcare given that it would be unreasonable to expect a Nanny to work these hours). I was met with a pretty hostile response but got my way on the understanding that on Fridays, I would be contactable and would come in if it was absolutely necessary.

20 months down the line and although I wouldn't swap my day at home for anything, I still don't especially enjoy Fridays. I am the only woman in my team but there is a lot of resentment / snide remarks and so on from my male colleagues. I am too paranoid to leave the house on Fridays in case work calls me and if I do need to go to the shops, get panicky at any hold ups. I stay logged on all day long to receive messages and any delay of more than around 20 minutes in answering messages leads to more snide remarks and so on. This is despite the fact that I am paid around 30% less than when I was doing full time!.

I find the attitude totally perplexing. Given that my productivity is now the same as it was previously (due to vastly fewer lunches and no gossiping) and I am paid considerably less, my employer is getting a good deal. Especially as I inevitably do at least 2 hours work on a Friday. It just goes to show how entrenched these sorts of attitudes are....

I work in a team of 6 - we all work from home - 2 in South Wales, 1 in Yorkshire, 2 in London and 1 in Oxford. It's totally the way we work, and we do everything via email, phone, monthly team meeting and other meetings where appropriate. It works for us.

Upside: Get to see my boy loads in the day, can work in pyjamas, can have fresh coffee whenever I want, can take a break if not feeling particularly creative, no interuptions from other staff/gossip etc, can take afternoon off to be with my son & catch up in evening...

Downside: Isolation, lack of "over the coffee machine" conversations with colleagues, Lots of interuptions from son & wife, no interuptions for gossip etc...

On balance, I prefer it, but I'm not sure I'll feel the same when my kids are at school all day.

Tom - glad I'm not the only one with unconventional home working attire - on hot days I have been known to sit at the computer in my underwear, but it is a bit bizarre having serious and professional telephone conversations with clients under those circumstances!

I'm self-employed, and try to only work 3 days a week (but it's been creeping up a bit lately due to business trips). I find it a bit lonely at times, but I know other freelancers so if it gets really bad I can pick up the phone and talk to someone (also helps cure writers block!). Also, I do social things with the kids on my non-working days, so I get to see friends then. I have full time nursery places for my kids, which is expensive but essential - I couldn't work with them at home, and it gives me flexibility when clients need me. My only real problem is with clients phoning me on my 'days off' - it doesn't sound good trying to talk work with two small kids trying to wrest the phone from you! On children days I let the answerphone pick up messages, then phone back at nap time - my clients know that on these days I am mostly available to answer queries, but that they must take me as they find me. I love the flexibility of working from home - being able to pick the kids up early when I want, being able to go to the gym off-peak, not having to pretend I'm working when there's nothing that needs doing - and I love the lack of office politics! The downsides are that you have to be very self-disciplined, and sometimes you have to work evenings or weekends to make up time. On the whole it's great, though.

Batters - I started after having my first child. Before that I worked full time in an office, with the very occasional day at home. My employer was not very keen on having employees where he couldn't keep an eye on them (hence my comment about pretending to work when there was nothing really to do) which was a daft attitude, because often when you're writing you need peace and quiet, not the constant chatter, telephone calls etc of a shared office. I am far more productive now than I ever was then. I plan eventually to go back into full time employment, but only into a situation where I have far more autonomy than in my old job.

Batters,
I started to work from home when I was pregnant with my second child. I'd already moved from a position that was 'on the road' all the time to an office based on after my first son was born. Then the north and south offices were merged in Leeds (a hell of a long commute from Brighton) so they agreed to me working from home! After the company I was working for folded I had to take my current position. Initially I was office based again but had to be on-call at weekend so I was provided with the necessary facilities to work from home. During the winter, when we had the terrible weather and train problems, I ended up working from home a few days here and there just because it was impossible to get to the office! Luckily this allowed me to prove that I could be just as efficient at home and I used this fact to negotiate 'home days' when my contract came up for renewal. I think I was very fortunate with the way this all came about. So many managers want to be able to see you working. They just don't seem to believe you could work as well, or better, away from the office.

One of the draw backs that I didn't mention before is that in some cultures you will get side lined because you are not seen. With my old company I definitely found this. My career basically came to a standstill. Having said that I really didn't mind at the time. I was quite happy to tread water if it meant that my home life was better.

Bells, I think you've set up a dangerous precedent for your Friday's. Now that your colleagues know you'll drop everything they've come to expect it. If I were you I wouldn't rush those shopping trips etc. Carry a mobile and answer the phone calls by all means but tell them you'll have to call them back/they'll have to wait until you've logged in etc. and only deal with the things that really can't wait until Monday. After all you don't get paid for the time....

Tom: I too work in pyjamas and comfy clothes. Thank goodness we don't have TV phones yet!

You are right of course Hmonty. Trouble is, it's the old guilt thing. I am the only person who has this benefit as I am so often reminded!. I do intend to look at changing fields after no. 2 arrives in November so I can really relax and enjoy the time I have with my son.

The others aspect though to my Fridays is that I feel I HAVE to get all the chores out of the way for the weekend as otherwise it just doesn't seem fair on my husband given that I have more time at home than him. That means endless laundry, cooking, gardening and so on which often leaves me exhausted... I am finding being pregnant, working and having a 2 year old child very tiring!.

Bells, even your post sounds weary - not your normal, perky, optomistic style at all.
Is there any possibility you could get a bit more help - a gardener perhaps or could you send out some of your laundry?
How about taking maternity leave early? I can't remember if it is at 21 or 29 weeks you can start. Might be worth considering though.
I have to say your Friday's sound fairly grim at the moment.

I am not deserving of an ounce of sympathy on this subject Bugsy! I already have a cleaner for 4 hours a week which I know puts me in a priveleged position...

I met my husband through work 8 years ago, we have always earned the same and have had equal status professionally. I guess that's why I feel that if I have the luxury of a day at home, that he should be entitled to come home to a spotless house with all the irritating jobs taken care of and a gourmet meal under way.. I know its stupid and entirely self-imposed but I guess I just feel guilty that I've been at home while he's at work all day!. I shall defo be taking a bit longer maternity leave this time though, even if it does mean going through a considerable chunk of my savings to pay for our Nanny as I only get 6 weeks pay at 90% and then SMP.

Can anyone tell me what kind of work can be done at home? Do you have to be part of an organisation in the first place or can you get a job working at home as an 'outsider'?

My last job was a research post and I was able to do a lot of that at home but work in this field is scarce.

Any suggestions would be welcome.

Oh Bells1,
I know what you mean about the guilt thing but when mine hits I remember that time I spend working is time taken away from my children - so my employer gets what they pay me to do and not a minute longer...and they keep wanting me to stay so I must be doing something right! Maybe you should try being a little less accessible...after all it sounds like you get the snide comments anyway so why not do something to actually 'deserve' them. It has taken me a couple of years and having a job that I actively dislike to get to this stage though. When I was 'out and about' I was terrible for getting home on time as I always wanted to do that bit extra as I loved my job. Maybe that's the answer. Take a job you hate and then you'll never be tempted to work extra!

I started working from home when I was expecting my first one. It was usually once a week on the "medical" day - midwife, antenatal, etc... then after I came back from maternity leave I "institutionalised" it by announcing that I would work 1 or 2 days a week from home - depending on meetings, work load, etc... I felt guilty at first - don't know why because I worked longer hours from home !!! But now I am expecting number 2 (in 6 weeks) and for the past 2-3 months I have decided to work 2 to 3 days a week from home.
My employer (a very large multinational) doesn't mind as long as the work gets done. They have installed a BT Highway (ISDN) line for me. My colleagues take it reasonably well- certainly now as they know I am heavily pregnant... I have to say that I enjoy the experience. No commuting (1 hour each way), see my son a whole lot more, can dress anyway I want, etc I miss some of the chats and the lunch interaction.... oh also, I now have a nap everyday when I work from home.... HEAVEN !

I thought I would open this up again as I am looking at the options of homework. I am looking to do secretarial, cleaning anything really as long as my son is with me.
Does anybody do cleaning privately and how much can you earn?
All ideas/experiences please.

My husband has worked from home for 7 years, we run a mangaement consultancy, but he started to feel very insular ( no coffee machine gossip as already mentionned!) and lost contact with many people. As our business is about networking he decided to return to the outside world, he works as an interim manager now, but still manages to spend a couple of days a week in his boxer shorts at his desk.

He also manages to go flying once a week ( he's supposedly working from home) and I continue to run the business, it ticks over nicely, so I just have to update computer files occasionally. It's great, you can work when you like - 6am or 11pm and sit in the sun when its out! I also work as a very well paid nanny, I love the job and have been with the family 7 years, but mainly from my home, as the children are 4 and 7 now so at fulltime nursery and school. I am about to give them up as they are moving to Switzerland next month.

I employ a daily housekeeper, she does all the washing, ironing, cleaning and tidying etc. She is worth her weight in gold. I pay her about £6.50 an hour net, but send her flowers, give her little surprise gifts, magazines, latest novels I have read etc, which she is thrilled with, because I want to show that I really appreciate what she does. The house is so beautifully tidy after she has been, with a 14 and 15 yr old, that is no mean feat! I couldn't do without her, she also comes in when we are away and as she adores cats, she feeds my 3 batty Burmese and spends an hour with them twice a day cuddling them!

Good cleaners/housekeepers are like good nannies, hold on to them. I work to pay her, I love my job with the children and she loves doing what she does, so we are all happy!

Alibubbles - you seem very happy with what you do. I am working part time as a nanny/childminder at the moment, I do like the job but the arrangement doesnt really suit me. I seem to be doing much more than orignally agreed and I am being used as a babysitter most of the time. I do like the job but the arrangement doesnt really suit me. Dont think Im getting going rate either, anybody know what that is? Still I will try and find another family or try and find something to do at home, got a few things that I am sounding out at the moment.

Hi Joe, I pay my childminder £3.50 per hour, I think this is the going rate. Apparently a childminder can look after 3 children under 5 (including their own). I think that's right anyway.

My cleaner gets paid £5.00 per hour. She comes twice a week and does 2 hours each time. Presume this is the going rate too?

Hi Suew, but if you're a really keen childminder you could have 3 kids at £3.50 an hour. Not bad if you can stand the noise!

Why is it that a cleaner is regarded more in worth to pay more than somebody who looks and takes responsibility for your children (not a dig just curious).

To be fair, I think it is because cleaners generally only work in 2- 3 hour shifts (usually maximum 4). So when you take into account travelling costs and time, they can only do usually 5 - 6 hours max in any one day. Also, cleaning is pretty physically demanding with no opportunity to sit down.

Joe, we pay our childminder £3.90 per hour and we pay our cleaner £7. I would much rather it was the other way around but unbelievably enough it is harder in our area of London to find a cleaner than a childminder.
Don't be exploited by the people whose child you look after - you should be treasured!