[NYLocal]

I have been offered to participate in an alternative work strategy by my company. What this means is that I can work remotely and would only need to come into the office once maybe twice a week. Company supplies a laptop with voip so as long as you have hi-speed internet connectivity you're good to go. While i can see some of the the pros and cons to this i was wondering if anyone here does this and what you think of it.

[seacow]

i would love that option.  Go for it.  So much time is wasted commuting. 

[snaggletooth]

Depends on what you do. I love the days when i work from home - which are largely weekends and when i feign illness because of a swell, and therefore rare. However, we have guys in satellite offices (take Dallas, as an example), and it is more challenging for their career to not be in front of us on a regular basis. They have to put in more effort to get to NY several times a month. So, if face time is important - and i don't mean just bullshit facetime, but actually sharing ideas and overhearing what other people are working on, etc, then it may be more difficult, or you may have to make more of an effort to connect with people on the days you are in the office. That said, i would jump on it, if i could.

[JerseyJen]

I'm a techie and have had the luxury of working remotely at least one day a week for my present and prior job (so basically almost the last 10years).  Now that my son is in daycare it is the only way I can sneak a surf in these days. In my present schedule I do 1-2 days at home, one day in NYC and 1-2 days up in North Jersey. Sometimes I work from home in the AM and drive up to a data center and work there in the afternoons.

The IT department at my company is kind of loud, somewhat dominated by "pissing contest"s/one-ups-manship and conversation frequently travels into personal territory that I don't neccessarily want to share so I def get a lot more done at home. By not being in the NYC office, I don't really have meaningful relationships with my co-workers and sometimes miss out on info that people take for granted I have received. The rest of my "team" are out in San Francisco so my direct peers aren't in the office anyway.


On the downside, I get distracted by housework in which case I go work at the public library or coffee shop.

overall, it's awesome. When I first went back to work after maternity leave I was working from home 3-4 days a week until my son was 11 months old. I got to spend a lot of time playing with him and then with him sleeping in a sling while I worked...totally priceless! I think the time investment of commuting 5x a week would have made it so I would have had to look for a job closer to home in order to be there for my family.

[NYLocal]

I manage an offshore software testing team so I am either on the phone or e-mails all day long with them. Our company has multiple locations in NY so even meetings with people in NY are usually done via conference calls. In fact a few senior managers in the group are going to do it as well. The managers I work for I have known for 10 years so I don't think that face time is too much of an issue. There will not be a hard schedule in terms of when I need to be in the office. Its more up to when there are meetings that I need to attend in person. The only problem that I see regarding face time so far is that my wife and kids are not thrilled about me being home all the time. 

[snaggletooth]

I manage an offshore software testing team so I am either on the phone or e-mails all day long with them. Our company has multiple locations in NY so even meetings with people in NY are usually done via conference calls. In fact a few senior managers in the group are going to do it as well. The managers I work for I have known for 10 years so I don't think that face time is too much of an issue. There will not be a hard schedule in terms of when I need to be in the office. Its more up to when there are meetings that I need to attend in person. The only problem that I see regarding face time so far is that my wife and kids are not thrilled about me being home all the time. 

ahaha!! well... that could be a problem. i'd be stoked to be able to work at home. but i think i would have to have a better office. right now, i have to de-sand, de-fur, and de-weed the office everytime i need to work from home.

[The Lone Surfer]

The only problem that I see regarding face time so far is that my wife and kids are not thrilled about me being home all the time. 

A lot of people i work with have flexible schedules, or do not have to come into the office at all. I noticed that once the men had kids they all started coming into the office much more, while it was the opposite for women.

[NYLocal]

A few people that decided not to participate have small children at home. I can see that as being a big distraction. My kids are 21 and 15 so not an issue for me. My wife works part time so either I have to stay in the basement when she's home or she said she will get a full time job. I may challenge her on that. can always use the extra income for a new board

[Igotsoul4u]

I personally hate it and so do most of my friends.  There is something to be said for getting out of the house.  I also think it takes you out of the loop.  I think a healthy does of both is the best way to do it but if I had to pick, I would choose the office.

[frroK]

I have home access but hardly ever use... and come to think of it I have to have approval to use anyway... but it would be cool if I could work from home once a week... I would probably get more work done. but then agian I could see how it could be easier to slack off

[jscottk]

If you live near a break (I do )
Its the best thing in the whole effing world...

I went from working from home, for the most part.
TO
Midtown.......ugh

The upside totally out weighs the downside.

[needmorewax]

It depends on what you do.  I generally prefer being in the office for a number of reasons, but when i have to read some long, boring phone book sized documents, i'll work at home.  What would take me three days to read in the office i can plow through in a few hours at home.     
 
Also, like Jscott i currently live right on the beach, so that means morning surf, sometimes a lunch surf, and evening surf - during the spring, summer and fall.    Which is nice.  During winter there's not enough light morning or night and not enough time to suit up, surf during lunch.

[jscottk]

  and de-weed the office everytime i need to work from home.


Hey I would be putting that info online ...

[skSURF]

I work from home once a week. I don't like to do it any more then that. Even when my job did not require me to come into the office I came in a few days a week.

Plus Its harder to lay someone off when you know who they are.

[PSYCHO]

Do it! The Bride does it once a week & is trying to push for more days. Its amazing, she has meetings remotely, gets to work in a relaxed environment, (Clothing optional) eats at home, & isnt getting hassled by everyone in her office every 10 seconds so she feels more productive. Its quiet & she can either talk on a land line, her blackberry & if she has a meeting she trains it in from the beach. Gives her more freedom to breathe while feeling very productive & the sense of responsibility she gets makes her feel like her company trusts her loyalty & believes in her work.




AAAAnnnd, I get to see her more. I work right across a desk at  home from her & play footsie & junk like that.   She saves a ton on travel expenses, lunch & is quicker to deal with situations where they need an answer asap. Her over seas colleges enjoy it more as well. Down side is, she needs to rely on the Indian IT if something goes wrong & her company isnt ready to commit to it fully & are nervous about security issues so she cannot use airport cards & wireless networks so if she cannot plug directly into a line, she cannot work remotely. Whacky that someone is still worried about that in this modern era but they are so she just deals with it. Nothing like that 1st cup of coffee at work when your still in your PJ's & fuzzy slippers. I think its a sick idea.