Working from home has proven to be a blessing for many people, particularly for parents, caregivers, and those living with disabilities, for whom commuting is a challenge. But it's not the best option for everyone. Some young professionals are struggling with the isolation of work from home arrangements and feel disconnected from management and their team. What are your thoughts LiveTribers? Can working from home breed feelings of isolation?
Posted by on 18 Jan 2024
Depends on what you do when you are not working.
Working from home is the ideal situation for me because I have a separate room set up for such purposes that it is a joy to work from home. I don't feel isolated at all because there is always so much work to do. It may help that I have a good social life outside of work and in contact with family nearby. I also love that I get to save heaps of time and money on public transport when working at home. Perhaps ideally, one or two days in the office and the rest at home would be the best balance.
Depends really but for me it’s great as I don’t really go to work to socialise or make friends o rather keep. Personal life separate to my work life
Yes and no. Depends on what kind of work and the personality. I like working at home for comfort and flexibility, not being constantly watched by others but there are times I miss interpersonal interactions at physical work places (again that can be good and bad, depends on who I come across to work with and work for). While I spend most of the time working remotely, I will grab the right opportunity to work at physical workplaces to maintain the human interactions.
there are lots of pros and cons to work from home. From my perspective it has worked out really well for me. I had been retired for 3 years and could not find my niche at home and did not feel worthwhile, was offered a casual administrative role working from home 18 mths ago with hours to suit. Even have undertaken 2 long road trips through Australia and only needed co laptop. I now feel worthwhile, contributing to a small team of 10, we do a lot of Teams meetings with the occasional FTF at an office and bonus, I get paid. So in my case it has worked out very well.
working from home provides much more flexibility and convenience as long as you have discernment and wisdom when it comes to socialising with people from online.
I made lots of friends by working from home and was able to see them in person. Working from home is more convenient and you can still make friends and socialise.
We encourage our children to play in team sports so they develop their social skills. Yet after a once-in-a-100-year pandemic adults prefer to work from home as they do not want to be part of a team environment. Counterproductive i would think for many reasons but one one particular
I have not done it but with zoom you could probably stay in touch for meetings etc.
It shouldn't do so unless your the type who doesn't enjoy working by yourself. If you are then don't work at home. I've personally done it and it's easy than traveling for work. Most people don't work at home. Even if you find it a bit odd or different to what you are use to, then just get use to it or change jobs. I think it's really less stressful and you don't have to tolerate other co workers. It's ideal in my opinion. You should not feel isolated just because you are working from home. You go to work to WORK, remember! Get over it! You can always have a social life. People have a choice and I don't feel pity for younger professionals. They need a reality check! So what!! If everything isn't to their dam liking.
Partly yes... It is a part of the big isolation & digitalisation plan. The next will be the "plandemia" again...
Certainly, in my view, remote work has the potential to foster feelings of isolation among some individuals. The absence of traditional office social interactions, including face-to-face conversations, casual chats, and shared experiences with colleagues, can contribute to a sense of disconnection for employees working from home.
Yes, for me I think working from home can potentially breed feelings of isolation for some individuals. Several factors might actually contribute to this.
I prefer to work at time. Easy.
I think it might depend on the job. When I was involved in accounting work I preferred a solitary environment with few distractions and preferred to work from home, however in a more team oriented environment such as advertising for example, I think one would need the input from other team members. I do agree that young professionals would be more likely to feel isolated if working from home all the time. Maybe a couple of days would be OK but probably no more.
I think everyone leads very different lives so there’s no one answer. It’s obvious that you are ‘alone’ more during work hours, but doesn’t necessarily mean you are isolated as a whole in life, especially when you have a solid friends and family network.
Yes
The experience of working from home can vary widely among individuals, and opinions on its impact on isolation can be subjective. While working from home has undoubtedly provided benefits for many, such as increased flexibility and the elimination of commuting challenges, it also comes with its set of challenges, including potential feelings of isolation. Several factors contribute to the sense of isolation for those working remotely. Lack of face-to-face interaction with colleagues and managers, limited opportunities for spontaneous conversations or casual interactions, and the absence of a physical office environment can all contribute to a feeling of disconnection. Additionally, some individuals may miss the social aspects of the workplace, such as team-building activities, office events, and the camaraderie that naturally occurs in a shared physical space. Young professionals, in particular, may find it challenging to build relationships, network, or receive mentorship in a virtual work environment. The informal learning and guidance that often happen organically in an office setting can be harder to replicate remotely. To address these challenges, organizations can implement strategies to foster connection and collaboration among remote workers. Regular virtual team meetings, team-building activities, and open communication channels can help bridge the gap and create a more inclusive and connected virtual work environment. Providing opportunities for mentorship and professional development, even in a remote setting, can also help support the growth and well-being of young professionals. Ultimately, the key is finding a balance that works for both the individual and the organization. Some people thrive in a remote work setup, while others may prefer a mix of in-person and remote work. It's essential for employers to recognize the diverse needs of their workforce and create a supportive environment that addresses the challenges of isolation while maintaining the benefits of flexibility and autonomy.
I believe that you have provided a well balanced report on the positives and negatives of working from home. This comment is completely from left field but l believe it to be very important. There is one important aspect to attending a work place for victims of domestic violence. This may be the only time they are away from the perpetrator and are able to alert another person of the risk they experiencing.
A hybrid arrangement is good for keeping work and life balance well and having adequate social connection hence it is good for overcoming isolation.
Depends on the person and the job I guess. If you need to work in a team environment working alone could be a negative experience but the flip side is if you are a loner you're probably not missing a thing
Yes. I work for myself as well so I feel disconnected from the world a lot of the time.
Yes, I agree. Working from home can lead to limited social interaction, reduced team bonding, communication challenges, lack of separation between work and personal life, missing out on office culture.
It is different for everyone and every job. If it isn't for you, look for a different job or make sure you make more time for social activities outside of work.
Social isolation is a known contributor to poor mental health, as a health care worker we are now seeing the secondary costs of covid lockdowns,. Agreed it is not for everyone.
I think you have to have the right type of personality to work from home and it's not for everyone
Although not a work from homer. My job has me in the field and working alone all day every day. I find the radio helps but I will admit that the first half hour of my day is in a yard and there are others and that few minutes of conversation can brighten my whole day.
I though working from home was an option and if that was the case people could go back to what they used to do if they were feeling lonely. I can see the good and the bad for working from home and personally I would prefer a mix of office and home work if possible.
Obviously yes it can but some will adapt well while others will struggle. For myself I really enjoy it but others I know struggle. It is now part of the modern working world so issues need to be solved.
Some people can feel isolated, but working from home is perfect for introverts.
I find it strange that some folk would be so reliant on the work place for social interactions that they would suffer from isolation. Surely their lives allow for interaction in other networks.
I worked from the office out of necessity and because I prefer it throughout the whole pandemic. I can tell you that the whole organisation is so disconnected as a result from working from home. Standards have gone out the window and the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing. Yesterday I tried desperately to contact an officer who was working from home. They looked like they were available. Not answering my calls or my messages. I wonder why?
I agree, I much prefer the office, sometimes i may not like commuting, or getting up early, but once I am there, I am much better
My eldest son often works from his home and loves it because it enables him to look after his children when they are on school holidays. He still gets out of home a lot to have meetings at work, do things with his children, play sports etc. For him it's ideal.
It is good for some people who are responsible, motivated and hard working. Other people really struggle to do their work at home when they are not in the office and have more supervision. Some people need more supervision than others.
I believe working from home has slowed productivity to a crawl. You hang on the line for at least 20 minutes most places you ring and they are always working from home. Who is keeping an eye on them making sure they are answering phones? The people in my neighbourhood who work from home seem to spend lots of time in their gardens during working hours. I think it's a it of a bludge.
In the susceptible individial highly likely!
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