The Disadvantages of Working From Home

Too Many Distractions

• People who work from home can suffer from having too many distractions interfere with productivity. Family members who are at home can interrupt workflow by asking you to take time away from the work. They may require assistance with some task or simply wish to talk. This problem becomes more of a distraction when young children are at home, because they often require more supervision than older children. Some people decide to hire babysitters during working hours, but this can prove costly.

Social Isolation

• People who work outside the home often interact with coworkers, customers or others who visit the workplace. Those working from home as independent contractors lose these social aspects that can sometimes make work more enjoyable. Some dislike the social isolation associated with working from home to such an extent that they decide to seek other forms of employment that involve social interaction.

Less Structured

• While the freedom associated with working from home can be liberating, some workers require a more structured working environment to succeed in business. Similarly, workers who lack the self-discipline to remain focused would find working from home challenging when there is no manager or set schedule to keep them on track. Workers must be able to commit to a full work day, even if work takes place during unconventional hours. Furthermore, people who depend on guidance and constructive criticism throughout their workday should reconsider working from home, especially if working alone.

Less Support

• People who work from home often lack support systems that troubleshoot problems in other work environments. For example, workers relying on computers for their home based businesses don't have access to the tech support an office might have on-call. If technology crashes, the home-based worker must find someone to repair it. This can be time-consuming and costly, interfering with the worker's ability to earn an income. Similarly, there is no receptionist to answer phone calls from clients. Workers can hire assistance but should be prepared to pay them as an employee.