Home.Sweet.Office

Have you ever wished to be able to work from home? You know like, sitting on that nice comfy chair (or slumber on the bed), listening to the radio and using that powerful notebook to do your work? I've been in two jobs that more or less offered this.

The first job I got of this nature, was working in a penthouse in Taman Desa. It was my MD's condominium but our R&D centre. *His idea of cutting cost*. I'm one of 4 consultants assigned there together with 2 directors (on rotating turns). It was a nice working environment - peace, quiet, airy and no visitors. Btw, we also have IKEA furnitures.

Before you say "that's not really working from home", here is the fun part. We get to wear whatever we want. *Plain Jane today and flamboyant tomorrow*. No parking hassles and parking is free. We get to use the condominium facilities like the gym, swimming pool, squash court and table tennis room. *Things that everyone of us look forward to at the end of the day.* ;)

There is also a snooker room but that costs money. Our directors will sometimes treat us to a few games for free.

So work doesn't feels like work at all. It feels like going to another house everyday. ;) The directors were on the top floor and we consultants were on the lower floor. All of us were like brothers and sisters (and the directors were like our fathers). We hang out in the balcony every now and then to talk about our personal lives, problems and etc.

Then things start to go a little out of whack. We ladies started to cook our lunch in the kitchen (Yeah! Kitchen and not pantry) and we even started cooking for the guys. When it's lunch time, we will be calling all the guys and directors to the kitchen to eat. Then some of the guys started leaving their cups and plates in the basin for us to clean. :(

There are more problems! Our address is a residence and customers were uncertain; banks and finance companies were giving us employees a hard time when we applied for loans and credit cards because the address of our company is not a valid commercial business address. One bank officer even came to visit our premise to verify that the company exists.

The second company I joined of this nature, really let me work from my home with the exception that ocassionally, I may need to visit customer sites. My boss is in Hong Kong and I'm working in Malaysia. He sends over the specifications and I code them here (then email it back to him). Sometimes we talk on the phone or on MSN messenger.

The feeling was quite weird actually as you just stay in your room and you get paid your salary every month. Some of the problems I faced are...

Work life has merged into my personal life. Working hours are mixed up, sometimes work in the night, sometimes in the day and sometimes during weekends. Some parts of my personal life gets in the way like my mom treats me like I'm not working. I need to pick-up phone calls that are not for me, answer the post man, feed the cat, help out in house chores etc.

Relatives and neighbours are curious as to why I don't work 9 - 6. They try to gossip and ask my parents about what I do and why I don't have a job. :( And it feels like a hermit not going out to meet people, talk to people other than mommie and daddie. Everyday, it is just TheStar Online and CNN.com. Then the electricity and phone bills came and parents were complaining about them.

Finally, I left the job for something that I can really feel that it is a job! I want an office desk that looks like an office desk and an office that looks like an office so that I know when it is time for work and when it is my personal time. To be honest, I fall sick less often working in an office environment than working at home.

Nowadays, it is work in the office and personal time at home. There is a clear separation.

What about you? Do you have any stories to share on working from home? Would you want to work from home?