Those who work from home

Due to space issues, our program expanding, and me really NOT needing to be in the office to do my job, it has been hinted around that I work from home more.

That's great, and I know a lot of people would kill for this perk, but on the days I do it, I don't get nearly as much done as I do in the structured environment of an office.

How DO you ladies get your work done at home?

A lot of my job involves writing very extensive client treatment plans.

I am thinking that I may need to either do this later at night after DS is in bed, or, just drop him off at the IL's during the week like I do now so I can get work done. Or maybe just going and sitting in a coffee shop all day.

I also have this bad habit of going on here when I am at home.

Re: Those who work from home

I work from home and used to do most of my phone calls/thoughtful work when the boys were napping but now that they're older and no longer napping regularly, I have to either wake up before they do or work after they go to sleep at night.

I have a PT sitter who comes several times per month for my client meetings/industry events but we recently arranged for her to come 2x/week to allow me to get more done.

Even now, I should be finishing e-mails for work but instead I'm on here.

Re: Those who work from home

Thanks! I think I will probably have to keep DS at his grandparents during the week so I can get work done. If you see my other thread, things are starting to get tense where I share space at work.

Re: Those who work from home

My DD is in daycare. I treat working from home just like as I did when I worked in the office. It would be impossible to do both.

Re: Those who work from home

When I practiced law, after I had my son, I worked out a flex time arrangement with my firm. So with that arrangement, I usually worked from home 1 to 2 days a week to have more time with my son and avoid my commute.

I did have childcare for my son on those days, but he was still in the house, so I could still see him.

I found it worked best if I only tried to do certain things at home. I could easily handle conference calls from home, edit drafts of other associates' work, read files and depositions, respond to emails. But other projects that required long-term concentration or access to a lot of files (e.g. drafting huge briefs, preparing depositions or trial scripts) I would reserve for the office. And if I had a week that was heavy on those types of projects, I didn't work from home that week, or maybe only worked one day from home. But in general, I tried to tackle the tasks that were better done in the office while I was in the office, and if I knew I was working from home the next day, I would try to reserve tasks I could do from home for that day.

Personally, I could never work from home 100% of the time. I need some office structure and personal interaction, and I like getting up, getting dressed, etc. But I did like having the flexiblity to work from home part of the time.

Now, as a realtor, I can pretty much work when I want, where I want. But I still have childcare for my son, who just turned 3. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to get anything done, or at least nothing time sensitive.

Message edited 12/6/2011 10:00:26 PM.

Re: Those who work from home

I work from home one day a week. I usually go through all of my tasks during the week and designate ones to do on my work from home day.

If DS is home - there is someone else watching him. It's against our telecommuting policy for him to be in my care and honestly - I'd get nothing done (it's more of a perk of not having to commute to and from the city each day).