The Pajama Economy Versus The Office? Which Is Better?

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The world of work has changed a great deal over the last few years. Many workers now see working from home as the ideal, all thanks to the fact that it cuts their commute times and means that they have more time to spend with their kids. Being able to stay in your pajamas certainly, has its advantages. But is the new pajama economy all that it’s cracked up to be? Let’s take a look.

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Office Benefit Number 1: Your Working Day Has A Cut-Off Point

Unless your employer is Victorian, there’s a good chance that your office working day comes to an end at a set time. But with flexible home working, that isn’t always the case.

Say, for instance, you’re a freelancer. It can be hard to ignore offers from clients and agencies who offer you extra work, even if that work arrives on a Sunday afternoon or late on a Wednesday evening when you’re supposed to be taking your kids to the Scout hut. Even if you work a regular job, many people find it hard to switch off when they work from home. There’s no clear demarcation between the working environment and the home environment, so home workers often feel the pressure to resolve issues outside of regular hours.

Office Benefit Number 2: Offices Have Better Facilities

These days, we hear a lot about the power of remote working facilities and the cloud. But if you’ve ever actually tried to hold a meeting over Skype, you’ll know that it’s a lot easier said than done. Then there are instant messengers which might be good for the odd message, but aren’t actually suitable when you want to communicate complex ideas.

There’s also the fact that homes aren’t office environments and tend to lack many of the basic facilities and furniture that we’d expect. As Arnold’s Office Furniture notes, offices are able to incorporate cutting edge working arrangement including things like new cubicles and open plan offices with different areas for different work-related activities. These sorts of collaborative setups are hard to generate online.

Office Benefit Number 3: Communication Breakdowns Are Rare

Communicating effectively with people using a chat box can also lead to problems if done long term. Chat boxes can’t convey meaning very effectively, meaning that there are ample opportunities to be misinterpreted. In addition to that, it’s hard to form close bonds with people when all you have to go on is a few hastily written words in the corner of your screen. Home workers can wind up feeling lonely and isolated from the rest of their team unless they regularly go into the office and catch up.

Office Benefit Number 4: Guidance Is Easier In The Office

As an employee, you want to be guided and trained by management so that you can improve your skills and become more valuable. But getting advice when you work remotely can be difficult. In the office, you can just approach your manager for guidance with a particular task, but when you work remotely, you can often be waiting for an hour or more for an email response to a query.