Working from home has its advantages. No need to shower, shave or even dress; traffic jams are minimized to dodging laundry in the hallway; and then there’s the Judge Judy break at four.
Yet with such fringe benefits come disadvantages and dangers few employers are taking seriously and few employees understand, such as the stress of working daylong in front of a computer in what could be an ergonomically undesirable setting, injuries from household hazards, expectations of being available around the clock, or working alone without colleague interaction and, dare we imagine, without computer tech support.
Traditional workplaces are constructed with federal regulation and best-business practices in mind. Yet while high fuel prices and fist-clenching traffic are forcing more people to work from home, no rules exist on how to properly create a home office.
Photo by uccrow.