Office or Home?
  Written By Raven

What are the pros and cons of living within a reasonable distance radius of your employer?

Wake up in the morning, throw some clothes on, head over to your local coffee shop for some caffeine and that's it. All you'd need is a car or a bus system to arrive all bright eyed and bushy tailed, ready to take on the day's tasks. If there were a late night emergency meeting, it wouldn't take much to gather all the worker bees. Let's face it. In our world, there are always fires that need to be extinguished. Granted, it won't happen often; but, having a dinner meeting or cocktail meeting is a nice way to brainstorm for present and future projects. There's a plus, also, in getting to know the true personality of your coworkers.

When you live in the same town, shouting from office to office certainly replaces ICQ or any other form of online communication, even though these mediums would still be utilised. If the communication bogs down, you can always stand up and go to the other person's office, so your hand gestures and body language can truly reflect what you're trying to say. While ICQ is still considered the industry standard for messaging, the ability to leave a hand written note on your co-workers' desks is a more accurate communication tracking system. Phone calls are local, not long distance, which can save the company and you some ducats each month.

Being able to interact on a daily basis, face to face, creates an environment, which is conducive to forming strong business relationships with each other and the employer.

On the other hand, there are plenty of cons for both the employer and the employee or contractor and subcontractor.

Living locally means you can't wear your pajamas to work. I realise that sounds foolish to some; but, to those of us who are used to falling out of bed and then stumbling downstairs to our offices, this is a grand benefit to working at home. Certainly, it saves money on clothing. Personally, I am a creature of comfort and I love the idea of not having to dress for the office.

Travel expenses to and from work, considering the price of gas these days, can become costly. If you live more than a few miles from the office, your car needs to be in good shape at all times, which adds to your cost of living.

When I talk to those who do work in an office environment, I am sometimes envious of their hours, which don't include working after five or six in the evening and often don't include weekends. More often than not, however, because we are all computer geeks, we come home and get back onto our computers, so the hours accumulate, as if we were working from home.

Then, there is the topic of moving to the town where the job is. Relocating can be a real pain and a very expensive move, even when the contractor is paying for it. No matter how you cut it, moving involves leaving things behind and having to buy new things. If you're moving from Georgia to Washington State, as I did, the cost of living is much higher in Washington than it is in Georgia, so compensation has to be considered for the state in which you're moving, not the state where you live now. It would be a good idea to visit the state you're considering before agreeing on what you'll be paid.

Then, the decision must be made as to whether or not you're to be considered an employee or a long-term subcontractor. Who pays your taxes? If someone wants your services badly enough that they want you in the same town, then, it is incumbent upon you to discuss your status as employee or subcontractor. If you become an employee, many companies insist that you work exclusively for them and your own sites may go to waste. As a subcontractor, you should not be signing anything, which limits your abilities to work on your own projects. If you do agree to be exclusive, I would suggest having a contract drawn up. That contract would include your right to work on non-competing projects. This is something you don't want to assume.

There have been times when the subject of moving has been brought to me and I have resisted it every time. My feeling is this. What if it totally sucks? Then, as with my Georgia experience, I'm stuck in a place I loathe, until I can figure out a way to move. What if the relationship sours and you are let go or fired? Now, you're stuck in a town you loathe, without income, unless you already have income from elsewhere.

It is only when I return from a power meeting, thousands of miles away, that I begin to consider moving where my long-term client lives. The travel is exhausting and expensive for both my client and me. The prep work it takes to get ready for the trip and then catching up from the days missed is overwhelming. The days I travel are wasted days because of the time zone changes and my return day is wasted because I am recovering from time zone changes. The meetings go on from morning until night, which leaves me with reams of notes to go over once I return. Sometimes, my suitcase stays packed, until I get to it, which could be in a few weeks.

I have friends who wouldn't have it any other way. Having some structure in their lives is appealing. Going to an office and being able to leave work is also appealing; something I don't have, since my office is twenty feet away from my bedroom and den.

I think much depends on your personality and your needs. Everyone has different standards on what they want from their work experiences. Take your time, though, in making any decisions when you consider working for someone else or relocating to another city or becoming an employee.

In the end, you need to set up what will work the best for you and all concerned. While some need the structure of an office and an employer, others don't. Make your decision, after writing down your particular work habits and don't do anything hasty. Think all your options through, then make a smart decision!