Sometimes working from home is lonely

Since the accident, we’ve been relegated to sharing one car. In order to continue working, I’ve been using alternative arrangements during the three week period while my car is at the body shop. I’ve alternated between working from home, borrowing a car from my parents, and getting rides to the office with my coworkers. Most days, I’ve been working from home. I drop the kids off, then my wife takes the car to work.

I’m of two minds about working from home. I do appreciate the option when circumstances inhibit you from being in the office, such as sick kids, contractors coming over, etc. Nothing prevents you from working, and it provides an employee with flexibility. What’s the alternative? A wasted sick or vacation day.

I used to have an employer who didn’t trust employees with working from home, due to the fears that they wouldn’t do work while at home. We had laptops, remote access, and, you know, work to do, but management was afraid of the possibility that the staff would be home watching Maury. In my opinion, it was an irrational fear. With my current employer, the flexibility makes sense, and it works for many of my colleagues.

That being said, for the 2-3 days a week that I have been home to work, it’s been a little lonely. When you’re not in the office for a stretch of a few days in a row, I have found it lonely to not have other colleagues to see, work with, or even simply to chat with. On a vacation day, you can sit and watch tv, or run errands, and be happy in your jeans and sneakers. When I’m working from home, the tv is off, and I’m sitting there in an empty house, and you feel isolated. It isn’t even that I could take a drive at lunch, since I’ve got no ride.

The days I’ve come back to the office have been nice, since I can interact with living, breathing individuals. The three weeks are almost up, so I’ll be glad to take a break from being at home, and get back out there with the rest of society.

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