I’ve been working from home in a full-time capacity for over 3 years now. Prior to that, I had done part-time work from home jobs for about 4 years. In the beginning, it was so shocking to me how people conceived work from home jobs. Now, I’m used to the questions and assumptions, as ridiculous as they are.
I did some research and while I couldn’t find any recent concrete numbers on how many people work from home nowadays, but from what I gather, the number is close to 40%. That’s not a number of people who solely work from home, but people who either work full-time from home or work from home on occasion. Either way, that’s quite a few people! And yet, there are still so many misconceptions regarding this new working trend.
Today, I wanted to debunk a few myths! I’ve gathered 5 of the top myths and misconceptions I’ve heard about working from home and am here to deliver the facts.
1. You have so much time to get things done
For whatever reason, people think that just because you’re home, that you’re able to do work around the house. They think that just because you’re at home, you’ll be able to get some household chores done.
Here’s a scenario I want you to think about. If you were at your regular job in a regular office, would you be able to find the time to peel off and do mundane chores unrelated to your job? The answer is likely no.
Each day, I have a full 8-hour workload to complete. Can I throw a load of laundry in the dryer or take care of the dishwasher while I’m working? Sure I can. But that cuts into my time doing work. So I might end up working a bit later that day.
Also, I’m a mom. While I could go into a whole other blog regarding being a work from home mom, I’ll give you the gist. My husband only works part-time now, so he’s home most of the time so I can get work done. But if he’s working, I’m also taking care of my son while simultaneously working. Again, while this is a great opportunity for me and I wouldn’t have it any other way, it does mean that I end up working late some days.
So yes, while I may have the capacity to do things around the house, it comes at a cost. Really, it doesn’t save me any time it just dictates when things get done.
2. People who work from home are less productive than they are in an office
This is a huge misconception not just by random friends and family members. Quite a few companies harbor this idea and use it as a method of not allowing remote employees.
The truth is quite the opposite! Employees who work from home are actually more productive than those who do not.
When you work from home, it’s just you. There’s no coworkers coming to your desk to chat. You don’t have to walk all the way to the break room to get coffee, then incidentally run into someone an start talking. No one is calling random meetings here and there. It’s just you and your computer.
Are you 100% free from distractions? No. But you are in control of how you let those distractions affect your workday.
3. It’s easy and anyone can do it
Working from home is not for everyone. There are a lot of people who think that working from home is a dream job. And it can be, but not everyone can hack it.
Working from home does take discipline and time management. Because a lot of people have these misconceptions, they can let it cloud their judgement for how to conduct their time.
For example, if someone thinks they’ll be able to get more done around the house and they try to do that, they’ll quickly discover that not much of their actual work is getting done.
It also takes a special kind of discipline to distance your mind from at-home life to work-at-home life. Your mindset is so important. You don’t necessarily have an environment that dictates your mindset. You have to be calculated in thinking: “okay, it’s time for work now, time to shut off my home brain.” This is more easily said than done for some.
4. Work from home jobs are scams
Are there work from home jobs that are scams? Absolutely. Have MLM’s given work from home jobs a bad name? Certainly.
But there really are lots of reputable work from home positions, especially in the technology age. I’ve worked in a few focus areas where working from home just makes sense for my job. Right now, my full-time job is as a social media manager. Everything I do is right on my computer or my phone.
I’ve also done writing jobs: whether it’s ghostwriting a book, blog writing for a business, or content writing web pages: all those tasks are done on my computer.
Technology is basically how work from home jobs are becoming a trend. There’s no need to be in a physical office anymore.
I will admit, there are lots of scams out there, but work from home is not solely a scam term. That being said, if you are looking to get into a work from home position, be very aware of possible scams out there and seek out reputable companies to work for/with.
5. Remote Workers Are Lazy
“So you work in your pajamas all day?” Yes, people really think that. But no, I don’t work in my pajamas all day. Do you know how crazy I would go if I lounged around in pajamas and not showering? Yuck.
Part of getting into the working mindset is preparing yourself for a day of work. Every day, I shower and get dressed. Do I tend to opt for comfier clothes? Of course. But I always look presentable.
There’s another reason I can’t just wear pajamas all day. I do have calls with my boss and clients. Most of the time they’re video calls. I still need to represent myself well. I wouldn’t look very professional sitting in front of my computer sans bra with dry shampoo still in my hair. I do have a reputation to uphold.
Cast Aside The Myths
Working from home is becoming more and more mainstream. I can guarantee that the people you know who do it are probably tired of hearing the same “jokes” or misconceptions thrown around. I hope this helps educate some people and sheds some light on what a remote worker really does.
Do you work from home and come face-to-face with myths? Share some with me below! Or, if you’re wondering if something you believe is myth or fact, ask me! I love learning what other people think.
