“Two of my friends have recently taken a strong dislike to their jobs. I think what is ailing them is that they work from home; [they have] spent too much time in their slippers in the study. Under those conditions, all work starts to seem meaningless. By contrast, if you are toiling away with people doing the same thing, you somehow convince each other that what you do matters. From where I sit, surrounded by people all working for the FInancial Times, the importance of the newspaper looks ginormous. So, too, does the importance of who has taken my coffee cup, and who is about to get promoted/shafted. These stupid things are not stupid at all. They are what lock us into a shared enterprise.” (Lucy Kellaway, Financial Times Oct 2015)
With computers and ever-worsening traffic the idea of working from home was going to be the great new thing. Actually, it takes a lot of self-discipline, something that many people simply don’t possess. I think it’s a great idea if you have something you need peace and quiet for (say, the first draft of a report). And it’s fine for one or two days a week. But I think Lucy Kellaway, one of the most amusing and percipient British journalists alive, has, as usual, hit the nail on the head: you need the discipline of the office, the presence (or ghost) of the boss and the ability to consult face-to face.
By the way, working from home on a number of possible drafts for this blog, I have just taken twenty minutes off, watering the plants on the roof terrace. Productive?
I loved the fact that growing up, my mum worked at home (as a piano teacher.) It meant she was able to look after me and my sister, and make quite a lot of money at the same time. Now that I’ve left for university, she basically works full time from home, only travelling to teach in schools on occasion. I would also like to work from home if at all possible, at least for a few days a week. But what I would miss about the office is the social life- I can imagine working from home being quite lonely, especially if you are not living with anyone.
From both Mr. Owen and Mr. Bell’s observations, I’m persuaded that a reasonable mix of work both at home and at the office (or Starbucks-office) satisfies our need for others around us and for occasional super-focus. Not “either-or” but Both! Somehow.