HOC's Virtual Roundtable - Panel Discussion

Home Office Computing, April, 2000

AN ONLINE DISCUSSION OF THE BENEFITS AND PITFALLS OF WORKING FROM HOME

TO THOSE ON THE OUTSIDE, HOME-BASED WORKERS have it easy. A one-minute commute to the office. No dress codes. Fewer distractions. And tons of free time to pursue personal interests. But is this myth or reality? To find out, HOME OFFICE COMPUTING placed three home-based workers in a virtual chat room to discuss the challenges and rewards of the work-at-home lifestyle.

Ari Feldman: My name is Ari, and I'm a producer/project manager with columbiahouse.com by day, and a computer book author by night and weekends. I'm currently finishing up Designing Arcade Computer Game Graphics, and I'm seriously considering working full-time from home.

Judith Lederman: I'm Judith Lederman of JSL Publicity & Marketing in Irvington, N.Y. I began my business in 1989 after a frustrating stint of trying to balance my family (three kids) and my career. Now I work as a consultant for a PR firm that specializes in dot-coms. I also have several other clients, and I'm a spokesperson for this .com, a filtered ISP.

Ed Gilhuly: I'm a program manager for Weber Public Relations Worldwide in Coral Gables, Fla. I've worked from home for about two years now. My main client is Florida Power & Light Co.

HOME OFFICE COMPUTING: What's the most common misconception you face working from home?

Lederman: The most common misconception about what I do comes from my husband. He figures that as long as I'm home, I may as well be throwing the laundry into the washing machine, tidying up the house, cleaning up the morning's dirty dishes, picking up and dropping off the kids, etc. He has no clue about the rigors of working from home and that when I'm on the client's clock, I take that time very seriously.

Feldman: The biggest misconception is that you're goofing off. In my case, this is sometimes true, however.

Lederman: On the client end, no one has ever assumed that since I work at home, I must be doing work in my pajamas. I present a professional image when I go in to see them, so I think they expect 100 percent of my attention. And that is what I always give--100 percent of myself.

Gilhuly: Nobody ever seemed to have any real problem with it. At first, the common joke from coworkers was that I was waking up at 11 and watching reruns all day. That faded quickly, like any other lame joke. And it was wrong, of course, because I was waking up at noon and watching ESPN.

HOC: Is working from home ever an issue professionally? How do you handle it?

Lederman: When I first started out, I was very sensitive about working at home, and I overcompensated in marketing my company to show that I could stand up to the very best of the traditional workplace outfits. I invested in services that made my life easier (PayTrust for bill paying, PayChex for payroll, and so on) and enabled me to present myself as "larger than life." Over the years, I've built my practice up to the point where repeat business is keeping me busy. I'm less sensitive about my work-at-home status now; in fact, it works for me. Most of the companies that deal with me are looking for hands-on, individual attention.

Feldman: Well, you can't be as on top of things when you're at home as when you're at the office. You need to be able to track people down face-to-face, since a lot of people either ignore e-mails and phone calls or are simply never at their desks.

Gilhuly: No issue. And since I started doing it, I meet more and more people who do it. And most of the ones who don't [work from home] say it's a good idea. I've been fortunate to work for a company--especially my immediate management--that's not stuck in some outmoded corporate attitude and is keen to help people enjoy and do good things in their job.

HOC: Is your workday typically a routine 9 to 5? Or is it more 24/7?

Lederman: I'm kind of 'round-the-clock--I carry a beeper and cell phone at all times. I go in to one steady client several times per week. I consider myself always on call.

Feldman: Good question. I'd have to say [neither] for me--every day is different.

Gilhuly: On call. Deadlines. A lot of phone work during the day. Writing mainly at night.

HOC: Are there other practices that give your day structure?

Feldman: Ah yes, e-mail breaks. I take them every two hours.

Lederman: I wouldn't call myself "structured," at least not in the traditional sense of the word. But 9 a.m. usually finds me in front of the computer and working.

Feldman: Booting up my computer, reviewing my chapter outlines, and churning out copy. When I'm on a roll, I can easily work a 10- to 12-hour marathon.

Gilhuly: Dropping off and picking up my daughter at the baby-sitter serve as daily mileposts.

Lederman: That's the beauty of being a consultant. The flexibility.

HOC: Do you ever get distracted? How do you refocus on work?

Feldman: I get incredibly distracted. It doesn't help that I have the attention span of a flea, either. Since I'm an avid Web surfer, I often have trouble resisting [the temptation to] waste precious time surfing when I should be writing copy. And then there's the issue of naps. If I have a big meal, I'm done for--as soon as I lay down to digest, it's lights out.