Make Working From Home Work for You
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by Jenny Ungless 
Most of us, at one time or another (usually on a dark, wet Monday morning), have probably thought how fantastic it would be to work from home. No cold commute, a slow start, no need to get out of your dressing-gown till lunchtime…But what’s the reality of working from home, and is it something that would really work for you? Here are our top tips for things to consider before you take the plunge:
Why Work from Home
First of all, get clear about exactly why you want to work from home. Legitimate reasons include helping you to juggle family commitments such as childcare, allowing yourself to work “smarter” by saving the time of a long journey to work, or allowing you to manage your time better if you spend a lot of time working independently, or often have to travel or work unsociable hours. If you’re self-employed or about to start up your own business, working from home is often a sensible way of keeping your overheads down.
Consider your Children
Employers are increasingly willing to allow employees to work at least part-time from home – it helps to keep their costs down and can be great for staff morale as it shows that your company trusts you to act responsibly. If you have children under the age of 6, your employer is legally required to give serious consideration to a reasonable request to work flexibly. However, that doesn’t mean they have to agree to your request. Increase your chances of a favourable response by setting out clearly the benefits to your employer as well as yourself.
It takes Discipline
Be honest with yourself about how well you are suited to home working. If you’re someone who loves a quick gossip with your colleagues over your morning coffee, you might find it lonely being stuck at home all day on your own. Be realistic about your ability to discipline yourself to get down to work when there’s no one there to “check up” on you: it can be all too easy to find a constant stream of chores and distractions to keep you away from the computer.
Do you have the Space
If you decide to go ahead and take the plunge, you’ll need to make sure that you have appropriate space and systems in place. The spare bedroom is the classic “home office” location, but if you’re short of space you may have to improvise a bit. The key thing is to make sure that you have dedicated workspace that is comfortable and practical. If that means the kitchen table, arrange things so that you can easily clear away at the end of the day – so that you have room to live, but also so that you can switch off from work.
