The Pros and Cons of Home Working

Due to official government guidance, the majority of us have been forced to settle into a new routine that has resulted in more home-based working. At PixelTree, we’ve adapted to working from home well and have been able to ensure that disruptions are minimal in what is a strange and trying time. 

We’ve had the individual and collective resilience and flexibility to deal with the changes to our professional lives, but this doesn’t mean it has been without its challenges. The dreaded “Zoom fatigue”, feelings of isolation and frustrating technical issues are just some of the problems we’ve had to tackle head on. 

Yet we remain relatively torn as to whether working from home is something we could get used to, or whether we long for that unique company culture you only experience in the office!

It’s clear that technology has made home working much more feasible in recent years and as an agency that is grounded in all things tech, we’re a big advocate of remote collaboration tools.

However, there are pros and cons to everything. Recently, we asked the PixelTree team to give one pro and one con of working from home in an effort to identify a collective mindset that will help us set a clear course for the future. 

James – CEO

Pro – Being able to spend time with the family and enjoying a slower pace to life without rushing all over the country to attend meetings.

Con – Balancing the lack of social interaction which you get in the office. Zoom calls are great but being able to lift your head in our open plan office and ask questions or discuss the football has been sorely missed!

Vicky – Office Manager

Pro – No morning commute stuck in traffic! Also being able to use a lunchtime to go running or to prepare tea means I have more time at the end of the day. 

Con – I find it tiring having to type every conversation out during the day. I miss the social interaction with the team and other members of the base. I find I feel much less supported working from home and less able to support also. I’m definitely suffering from Zoom fatigue!

Adam – UX Designer

Pro – No commute! I find I’m more focused and efficient at home, although It did take some getting used to. I now have the ability to eat fresher foods for lunch daily which I find saves money. I also really enjoy the freedom to work anywhere in the house. 

Con – Not seeing anyone in the office both from a work perspective and socially. I feel like I never leave the threshold of work, as I’m already at home. I miss having a good chair to sit in. I also suffer from Zoom fatigue!

Luke – UX Designer

Pro – Not having a long commute to and from work saves time and money, reduces stress levels and adds hours back on to my day that can be used for finishing off additional work or for taking in more leisurely activities/exercise.  

Con – Simple problems such as software issues take longer and are more difficult to remedy when not in the office. It’s much easier to solve problems in-person than it is remotely – firing up a zoom call each time there’s a very minor or trivial issue can become tiresome and frustrating for all involved!

Przemek – Head of Development 

Pro – If you have a spare room, working from home allows you to set your own budget and create a dedicated workspace exactly as you like. If you’re going to spend a lot of time in your home office, it’s important to get it right!

Con – There’s a risk that the line between work and family life could get thinner and thinner, which isn’t good for both the quality of your work and the quality of your family life. 

Michael – Front End Developer

Pro – No commuting means I have less stress in my life. This means I am able to focus better on the work that I am paid to do rather than the travelling that I am not paid to do. I’m more productive and at the same time more relaxed.

Con – This isn’t something that I suffer from myself but from my interactions with colleagues, clients and friends I have found that those with a dedicated workspace have adjusted better to WFH. Possibly the key to this is having a good quality chair. You use it for 7-8 hours a day so it’s worth investing in something that will make working more comfortable!‎

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In conclusion…

Working from home has had it’s advantages but we’ve certainly had many challenges and issues which we’ve had to adapt to in order to maintain business operations. 

As a company, we’ve found it relatively simple to switch to home working based on the way we’ve scaled from a start up using cloud based softwares. The processes that some companies have had to introduce in order to make home working possible have been a part of our workflow for a good number of years. 

It’s clear that there’s a balanced perspective among our team with regards to home working, with a lot of the same points being echoed. Ultimately, it comes down to the environment you feel you’re more efficient in and whether you rely on that in-person support in order to do your job effectively, or whether you possess the self-management skills to be able to work autonomously and remain just as productive. 

Whilst we’re in a fortunate position, we understand the challenges that some companies have had to adapt to. We’ve produced some handy remote collaboration guides designed to assist you in the set up of your home working processes. 

If there’s anything else we can do to help inform your decisions with regards to home working, get in touch!