topic Working From Home in Community Chat

Working From Home

Silkeej — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 04:25:49 GMT

I was just wondering what you all think of companies who let their employees work from home? How does the company know they are putting in a full day for their pay? I imagine they have a certain amount of work to do but that doesn't mean it takes them a full working day. What do you think?

Re: Working From Home

VanSleepy — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 04:33:59 GMT

I think most people who are allowed to work from home aren't at a level where someone is concerned about and tracking how many hours they put in. They just need to get certain things accomplished.

Re: Working From Home

sassenach1 — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 04:34:00 GMT

I work for a Fortune 100 company and I am home based. I do travel, but when it am not on the road, I office from home. My job is intense with many responsibilities. There is no time but to work at least a full day or more. As far as monitoring, like most companies, anything done on my computer can be tracked. I don't know that they do, but they certainly can. My goals and expected results are high and that is my main accountability.

Re: Working From Home

circles — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 04:35:58 GMT

my son works from home at least once a week....and his wife works from home four days a week...I have been there....for other reasons....and they always have their nose to the grindstone....if I call they can only talk for a few minutes and have to get back to work...

both of them get calls... from their workplace...often during the day....so they better be ready to take those calls.....

Re: Working From Home

JeanLouiseFinch — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 04:40:24 GMT

My husband has a WFH day once a week, but sometimes can't take it if there's a meeting he has to attend. I could be wrong, but I believe this WFH option usually happens with salaried employees as opposed to hourly. I know my husband cannot shut off his phone and only be available for work related calls during so-called business hours. He deals with people in different time zones, both here in the US and Internationally. I can tell you without a doubt his company gets way more out him in any given day that a work from home day, even if he might take a longer lunch or do a little personal business that day, is no different. He usually tries to schedule personal business appointments (doctor, dentist, car upkeep etc.) on his WFH days, too, so as not to need another day away from the office to attend to them.

Re: Working From Home

tansy — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 04:44:29 GMT

If the job involves production typing, it is easy to keep track of an at-home employee's production.

Re: Working From Home

Lynnj — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 04:45:23 GMT

I have worked from home since 2007. I have deliverables and timelines that need to be meet. The company would know I wasn't doing my job if I didn't produce things when they are due. I spend the majority of my day on the phone, in meetings, with other co- workers from all over the country who also work from home. That said, I can multi-task while on meetings, and not always sitting at my desk in front of my laptop. For example, today i emptied the dishwasher while on a meeting, taking my phone on and off mute as I need to chime in about the topic. Some days I sit on my couch, in front of the tv, with my laptop and will work on documents or whatever stuff needed to get done. I've also been known to have tv on mute and watch a baseball game during a phone meeting. Bottom line is I get my work done and delivered on or before it is requested. I don't need to be baby sat to get my job done. The negative side to working at home is that it is always there. I may not quit at 5 because I need to leave to get home. I may work into the night or on the weekend because I need to get something done to meet a deadline. The key to working at home is to maintain a healthy work/life balance.

Re: Working From Home

Marienkaefer2 — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 04:51:59 GMT

Of course, if you aren't producing, they're going to know.

Plenty of people goof off in the office, and go undetected for a long time.

I didn't work from home (well, I did take work home with me), but I had an office and was out on the road too.

I wasn't "clocked" from 8-5. I was just expected to accomplish certain goals.

Some days I worked 9-3. Others I worked 8-6 or later, and on weekends.

Imo, people accomplish more in these types of jobs than the typical 8-5 or 9-5. Somehow you are inspired more, because you are independent. Well, that's how it was for me, anyway.

Re: Working From Home

Lynnj — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 04:57:39 GMT

On 3/19/2014 Marienkaefer2 said:
Of course, if you aren't producing, they're going to know.

Plenty of people goof off in the office, and go undetected for a long time.

I didn't work from home (well, I did take work home with me), but I had an office and was out on the road too.

I wasn't "clocked" from 8-5. I was just expected to accomplish certain goals.

Some days I worked 9-3. Others I worked 8-6 or later, and on weekends.

Imo, people accomplish more in these types of jobs than the typical 8-5 or 9-5. Somehow you are inspired more, because you are independent. Well, that's how it was for me, anyway.

I agree with your statement about people goof off in an office and go undetected all of the time. Also the other statement about those who work from home are more productive - so true for me. I get more work done since I've been home since 2007 than I ever did when I went to the office everyday. Not sure why that is exactly? But I am much productive as a work at home associate.

Re: Working From Home

bathina — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 05:06:53 GMT

I've also worked at home for years. No one is clocking my hours, but they would sure know if I missed deadlines. I set my own hours based on my workload and meeting schedules. Most weeks I'm putting in way more than the traditional 40 hours.

Re: Working From Home

chrystaltree — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 06:10:55 GMT

Well, today. Your office knows what you do, when you do it etc because we have things called computers. Everything we do is online or on the company's network. No one pushes paper anymore. I manage 50 people, 3 work from home full time; they come into the office for major staff meetings only. 5 others split their time between office and home. They are required to log on at their regular time and put in their 40 hours during business hours. I know when they are logged, logged out, what accounts they are working. I know how much down time they have and their production. I have more control of my at home employees than I have with my office employees. My at home people are more productive and I have had to speak with one or two about working too many hours. People who work from home often put in extra time and they don't put it on their time sheets. They aren't eligible for overtime at our company, so they shouldn't work more than 40 hours a week. I trust my people, I can monitor them but I only look at production and hours logged in. I just don't want anyone working at midnight or putting in 55 hours a week and being paid for 40. Managers and other professional level employees aren't hourly workers, we can work as many or as few hours a day as we want when we work from home. As long as our work and projects get done and as long as we are accessible to whoever needs us. I guess I'm old school, I rarely work from home. Home is my sanctuary. I give the company everthing when I am there and I work 50 hours a week. My home is for me, it's not an extension of my office.

Re: Working From Home

gidgetgh — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 11:28:45 GMT

On 3/19/2014 Craftie said:
I was just wondering what you all think of companies who let their employees work from home? How does the company know they are putting in a full day for their pay? I imagine they have a certain amount of work to do but that doesn't mean it takes them a full working day. What do you think?

As a person who works 99.99% of the time from home, I think companies who allow this are great.

I work 4 hours a day from home. If I feel like I've had too much time where I've had to take a break and do something in the house, then I work longer to make up for it. In my case, I've found that I'm overly strict with myself with time. As I mentioned, if I feel like I've taken too much time doing other things, then I work longer to make up for it.

There certainly has to be a level of trust by the employer. And if my work weren't getting done, I'd certainly hear about it. But, when I worked in the office, no one works 100% of the time. Come in, sit down, log in and don't move for 8 hours. People always stop to chat a little, get something from the break room, call a doctor to schedule an appt., call a plumber to make an appt., etc. Same thing from home.

Re: Working From Home

Lila Belle — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 13:37:01 GMT

When I was working I liked the flexibility of working from home and going into the office when needed. My job required a lot of phone time and outside appointments and then follow ups. I usually went into the office every day or so for an hour or two or for meetings and such.

Re: Working From Home

Suziepeach — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 14:35:50 GMT

My husband works from home and puts in 8-15hrs each and everyday, including the week-ends.

Re: Working From Home

AngusandBuddhasMom — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 14:38:51 GMT

I work from home and commute to my office as well. Believe me it is much easier to work at my office sometimes then home. I do not need a babysitter in either location. I am salaried.

Re: Working From Home

sgraham30 — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 14:47:40 GMT

We had daily quotas that we had to meet & their system was set up so they could see when we logged on/off.

Re: Working From Home

RedHeadedWench — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 14:51:04 GMT

I worked from home for a few years, and they can tell if you aren't giving it your all. We had several people let go because they took advantage of the situation.

My oldest works from home at least once per week, but he is also logged on for most of that time, and he gets his work done.

Re: Working From Home

QueenDanceALot — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 14:59:30 GMT

I think it doesn't make a difference what I think.

It's the company's decision and the company's business.

Re: Working From Home

Shorty2U — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 15:05:44 GMT

I have 2 relatives who work in the computer field for major companies that work from home. Believe me, they don't goof off. They are monitored the entire time and are very professional. Also they must check in on site with the companies they work for from time to time for meetings and classes to update their knowledge as the computer world changes and upgrades constantly.

Re: Working From Home

straykatz — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 15:18:17 GMT

There are advantages to working from home.....like no commuting, less wear/tear on your car, save on gas, save on clothing and dry cleaning for those in office with business attire dress codes, and the big thing is less distraction so you can get more done....in fact I think most who work from home are more efficient because they don't have all the daily office distractions of office chatter, meetings, office socializings, etc.