My software development career has essentially been split halfway between working remotely and working in an office. When people ask me about working from home, I point out that it’s really just a tradeoff. Here are some pros and cons of remote work from my perspective.
Pros
- No commute. This is one of the best perks of remote work for me! Depending on where you live and the traffic situation, not having to commute to and from an office every day can add an extra hour or more to your day’s free time. There are so many things you can do with that extra time, like sleeping in or incorporating a more consistent exercise routine. I know some people make the most of their commute time by listening to podcasts or music, but it would be hard for me to go back after enjoying this extra time for so long.
- Living where you want. If you could live and work from anywhere in the world, where would you settle? Perhaps your office is located in that place for you, but for many people that’s not the case. Working remotely allows you to live exactly where you want to be, whether that’s closer to family or friends or whatever. Plus, you never have to worry about going through a job change if you want to move cities. Say your spouse gets a new job across the country. With a remote work setup, you’re covered! This flexibility is one of the greatest things about working remotely.
- Casual dress. In my case, my attire didn’t actually change much when I transitioned to working remotely. Our office dress code was very casual, so I was already wearing t-shirts to work regularly. But for many people, working remotely does allow them to dress more casually and comfortably every day. Ever dream about staying in your pajamas all day? You can do that when you work remotely!
- Being home for appointments. If you own a house, you’ll inevitably end up with various contractors coming over for repairs or maintenance. Working from home, you can always say "yes" to their schedules and not have to worry about leaving the office during the middle of the day to meet the AC guy at your home.
- Flexible travel. When I worked in an office, there were some weekends where I was faced with a decision. Do you cut the weekend trip short to get back Sunday night for work on Monday? Or do you burn a vacation day on Monday for travel just to be able to use up the full day Sunday? Working remotely gives you a ton of flexibility when it comes to travel and vacation days. I was recently able to attend a friend’s wedding on a Sunday evening in a different state without using any vacation time! I simply traveled with my work PC and worked from the hotel on Monday. I even saved money by taking a Monday evening flight home! It really is amazing how many trips you can pull off without using vacation time when you work remotely.
Cons
- Loss of camaraderie. One thing you definitely lose when you begin working remotely is the sense of camaraderie and community with your coworkers in the office. Your conversations with coworkers will become almost exclusively work-related, and you may find that you stop talking with people entirely unless you work with them directly. You can’t participate in many company activities or hang out with your coworkers after work or on weekends. There’s no substitute for those water-cooler or hallway casual conversations you have in the office once you start working remotely.
- Office perks. If your company offers any perks in the office like free snacks or subsidized lunches, you will no longer be able to take advantage of these benefits. Cooking lunch can be much easier since you’re already home, but this is definitely something I miss about being in the office.
- Being stuck in one spot all day. Whether you realize it or not, you end up moving around quite a bit when you work in an office. Whether it’s walking down the hall to a meeting or to another coworker’s office, you often get a good balance of sitting and standing without even trying. When you work remotely, going to a meeting only requires you to click a button on your computer. A conversation with a coworker no longer requires you to walk across the office to track them down – you simply give them a call. After working remotely for a while, my back started to hurt towards the end of the day. Sitting in one place all day has its toll on your body, which is why I highly recommend standing desks for anyone who works remotely.
- Less connected with team. Ultimately the loss of camaraderie and community with your coworkers can lead to an overall lack of connectedness with your team. Especially if most or all of your team is located in an office, there may be meetings or conversations that happen without your presence. Your team likely isn’t trying to exclude you on purpose, but you’ll naturally find yourself feeling less "in the loop" on certain things simply because you are not in the office every day.
Conclusion
Like many things in software development, the choice of remote work is a tradeoff. There are a lot of things I loved about working in an office that I miss as a remote worker, but remote work comes with its own benefits as well.
For me, it was my life situation that drove me to remote work. I was very happy with the job I had, but my wife had accepted a job in a different city. Suddenly I was faced with either looking for a new job in that location or trying to arrange a remote work setup with my current employer. Thankfully my company was gracious enough to work with me and allow me to start working remotely. The time I had spent in the office certainly helped me in my transition – I already knew my coworkers well and the processes that our team had in place.
I know some people who couldn’t imagine working remotely and others who started working remotely and never want to go back. Personality can play a big factor in that type of decision, but I hope this list can help you evaluate whether remote work would be the best fit for you and your situation.