Some people believe that you don’t need to work in an office to be more efficient and productive, opting instead to work from home. Although that might be true, it cannot be fully implemented by every company because it still poses some important concerns, such as the employees’ level of productivity at home as opposed to when they are at the office. Here are some of the most significant benefits and disadvantages that come with working from home:

Pros of Working From Home

1. You’ll definitely be able to save money and time. A considerable part of your expenses in a day comes from the commute from your house to the office and back again. Working from home definitely saves you the time and effort; aside from the fact that you no longer need to dress up and ride to work, you also won’t need to buy food outside.

2.  You get to set your own schedule. Following a pre-set schedule can make you work faster, because everything that you have to do is laid down in front of you. Also, you get to do your work with no disruptions such as, say, going out on lunch breaks, as you can eat in front of your computer as you do your work.

 3. This type of work situation can be convenient for you if you are married or have children at home, especially if there is no one else who can look after your kids on that day.

Cons of Working From Home

1.  It takes a lot of self-discipline to get yourself to start working because there is no pressure to be busy when you are working from home. You have got to stay motivated in order to get yourself through the day’s tasks.

2.  It doesn’t matter if you are working hard or putting more hours than usual because no one is there to see it (unless you have digital tools that measure productivity).

3.  That said, it may (and likely will) directly affect your career advancement, or at the very least, how much you’ll grow in the role. This can be a concern for some employees especially those who are looking to get promoted. Working from home can be a hindrance to that advancement because the employee doesn’t get to be properly monitored or evaluated at a closer range.

4.  Putting in more hours than what is required is going to be a likely (and common) scenario. For example, if you ever start worrying about something work-related at around 11 in the evening, it’s so much easier to go through it from your home office and work until the wee hours of the morning, which is unhealthy and may become a bad practice.

When it comes to whether working from home can be more helpful and productive than working in a traditional office, it truly is a close fight. However, there are other alternatives to hiring work-from-home employees that many businesses turn to, such as outsourcing, which will definitely make things easier for you especially if you need assistance in managing your business.

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