So that weird guy across the street who says he works from home... what's he really doing during the day? Is he really... working?
According to a Fort Lauderdale, Florida company called
Citrix that designs technology for employees to work remotely, the answer is yes.
And no. A survey conducted in June
by Wakefield Research of just over 1000 home-based American office employees showed the percentages of non-work related activities workers take part in during the
average workweek:
·
20% play video games
·
43% watch TV or a movie
·
26% take naps
·
28% cook dinner
·
35% do household chores
·
24% have had a drink
Home-based workers with children are more likely to turn
on the TV. Another commonality of home-based workers was slipping out to
exercise or get their hair done.
All this may have some wondering if working from
home is the reliable option for companies and workers it's touted to be. Yet,
study after study like
this one show that telecommuters are still more productive than onsite
office workers.
So if you get a home-based job, does that mean
you'll get to work in your pajamas while keeping up with last night's DVR'd
episodes of "Breaking Bad"?
Well, that will all depend on the arrangement with
your employer. Some companies offer complete autonomy to home-based employees
to get their work done. In other words, as long as your work is completed, of
quality and in on time, you can work from the toilet for all they care. Other
employers are not so flexible. Many times, it simply depends on what kind of home-based employment it is. Call
center jobs, for instance, require their home-based employees to have a quiet
space in which to work in as distracting background noises such as children,
TV, etc. can lead to being dismissed.
The important thing for home-based employees is to
know how to balance and manage home and work without either getting in the way.
However, from the looks of things, there are many home-based employees who do
seem to be managing quite well.
