The Perils of Working From Home

The fallout from Marissa Mayer’s decision to ban working from home for Yahoo employees, at least for now, has shone a light on the working from home conundrum. Many people who view working from home as a company benefit and one which makes their job actually doable, also realize that working from home can be both a blessing and a curse.

In addition to the obvious problems, such as interference from kids, spouses and pets, there is another problem that should be at the forefront of the discussion: a sense of isolation, which can lead to a loss in confidence.

One of the bi-products of working for an organization is the feeling that you are participating in a club of sorts, where only you and your colleagues completely understand the mores, inside jokes and small and large concerns that exist in your particular sphere. It is difficult to impossible to feel truly connected to your colleagues when you rarely see them. Skype and other platforms do not take the place of in person meetings, quick lunches and drinks after work.

If you are someone who’s been in the workforce for years and feel that a flexible situation outweighs the sense of disconnection, that is one thing. If you are a recent college grad in need of training and socialization in the world of work, then it’s the wrong decision for you.

When you’re just starting out, being in an office affords all kinds of exposure to others’ jobs and provides opportunities to mirror good behavior—and avoid the bad.