Are finding your work/life balance a bit of a struggle? Juggling a full time job and a family is not always an easy task, which is why more of us are turning to working from home. We take a look at how working from home could work for you.
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Once upon a time working from home was reserved for kit constructors, envelope-stuffers, and somewhat dubious mail-order companies. Today however, thanks to the glorious age of the internet, we can now do absolutely heaps of different jobs and all from the comfort of our own homes.
Forget the daily rush-hour commuter crush, the eight hours spent in a grey office, and the mad dash to pick up the kids from school, working from home can help you strike a practical work/life balance, and give you that valuable extra time you need for your family commitments.
But before you get tempted into thinking nipping to the shops and quickie breaks for your favourite soaps are what working from home is all about , it’s important to remember that this way of working does require the same levels of commitment and dedication of setting-based roles. In fact, you may find an extra burst of willpower is needed to avoid homely distractions and diversions.
Who can work from home?
The first step is to speak with your employer. According to Directgov, ‘The law says that employers must consider requests from parents of young or disabled children, and there’s often a good case for allowing employees to vary their work patterns. However, unless it says so in your contract, your employer doesn’t have to agree.’
You could begin by arranging a meeting with your employer with a written plan stating why you feel working from home – either dividing your time between home and office, or working from home for a set amount of time – could benefit both you and your company. In fact the majority of employers who receive applications for flexible working tend to approve them, provided you make a good case for the arrangement.
If you’re really set on working from home, but are unable to do so in your current job, there are other options – but do remember to do plenty of investigations before making any major decisions or investments.
- Freelance work – not always just for journalists, designers, or the creative industries, there are loads of other freelance jobs out there, you just need to do some checking up to ensure that they’re appropriate.
- Franchises – we’ve heard from loads of parents who’ve successfully run their own franchise businesses from home. Again, it’s important to do your homework on the company, but the possibilities with franchises are limitless, and there’s a huge variety of different companies out there.
- Set up your own business – have you got a particular skill or passion? Parents across the nation are setting up their own businesses.
- Childminding or childcare.
- Home sales – plenty of businesses have a home sales option where you can sell their products from home.
How to work effectively from home
Working from home can be as tremendous a juggling act as location-based roles. It’s important to stay organised and focused, and make sure you set daily goals.
- Keep lines of communication open – set up a business line for your phone which lets you easily contact colleagues and get calls diverted to your home. Do the same with email addresses.
- Have regular meetings with your colleagues.
- Allocate specific working slots and family slots. So if your kids need chauffeuring, make sure you have made time for this, and make up the hours at other times. Rigid as it sounds, a daily timetable is often handy!
- Lists, lists, lists! Make lists for everything so you don’t get distracted or forget anything. Imagine the satisfaction when you’ve crossed everything off.
- Avoid distractions – it’s okay to do a bit of laundry while you work, or have the radio on, but try to avoid television, dvd players, or personal calls on the telephone. Likewise, make sure your friends know that you’re working.
- Set up a workspace – it could be a room or an area of a room, and once you’re in that space, you’re at work. Organise the space as you would do in an office. Encourage your family to treat that area as your workspace too.
- Review your progress and success. If you feel you are working effectively this way, then continue to do so, and set new goals. If it isn’t working out, don’t be afraid to rethink your working routine and approach your employer again.
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