Ruminations on Working From Home
Had a wonderful dinner at Harvest this evening with an equally wonderful someone. It had been some time since I had been there last and it was surprisingly well populated for a Monday evening.
I am now watching "The 8th Plague" via Netflix streaming.
Beside me again is a glass of scotch and a Harpoon UFO. Phoebe is nearby quietly munching on a rawhide. It is after midnight on a work night. So, why am I up now? Because I can be.
When my former start-up company was acquired (a post about that experience is forthcoming), as part of the acquisition agreement, it was required that I become an employee of the new company in order to ensure a smooth transition of the technology as well as to make sure the strategic outlook and longer term plans proceeded smoothly. The new company has many facilities worldwide, though the headquarters is in MA. My boss, however, is in St. Louis and I work with people there and in Temecula, California. They did not require that I move (thankfully), so they gave me office space at their Danvers facility, but no one there does anything even remotely similar to what I do, plus they all work in labs, so when they return to the office area it is socialization time for them...so, they chat away while I try to work. It became really difficult to get anything done. So, to cut a long story short, I began to work from home more and more until I was doing it 100% of the time.
I have a weekly conference call with my boss and occasional, random calls at other times, but that is really the only structure to my work "day;" as long as I am available and get done what is needed to get done, I make my own schedule. And that is awesome. And that is the way I think it should be for those whose work can afford such a schedule. The only downside that some may consider a downside is that you run the risk of never "leaving work at work." And, yeah, I have a work Blackberry that I do carry around with me (having two cell phones is really a PITA, by the way) and do respond to important emails regardless of time...though, to be fair, such emails are rare.
This, of course, allows for my night owl tendencies to emerge and to the blurring of the week/weekend boundaries. But I much prefer it this way...I've always been very passionate about my work and view it (usually) as a very creative endeavor, so it can truly be a pleasure to "work." Plus, it affords me the ability to enjoy life in a manner that would be impossible in a typical 9 - 5 setting. I keep thinking it would be the ideal situation in which to have a child...of course, I'd need the partner first, but I'm working on it (see first sentence, above ;) ).
Anyway, I just find it interesting to be able to have a successful career outside of the typical 9 - 5 routine. And I am so very thankful that my "new" company is so very progressive in this regard.
I am now watching "The 8th Plague" via Netflix streaming.
Beside me again is a glass of scotch and a Harpoon UFO. Phoebe is nearby quietly munching on a rawhide. It is after midnight on a work night. So, why am I up now? Because I can be.
When my former start-up company was acquired (a post about that experience is forthcoming), as part of the acquisition agreement, it was required that I become an employee of the new company in order to ensure a smooth transition of the technology as well as to make sure the strategic outlook and longer term plans proceeded smoothly. The new company has many facilities worldwide, though the headquarters is in MA. My boss, however, is in St. Louis and I work with people there and in Temecula, California. They did not require that I move (thankfully), so they gave me office space at their Danvers facility, but no one there does anything even remotely similar to what I do, plus they all work in labs, so when they return to the office area it is socialization time for them...so, they chat away while I try to work. It became really difficult to get anything done. So, to cut a long story short, I began to work from home more and more until I was doing it 100% of the time.
I have a weekly conference call with my boss and occasional, random calls at other times, but that is really the only structure to my work "day;" as long as I am available and get done what is needed to get done, I make my own schedule. And that is awesome. And that is the way I think it should be for those whose work can afford such a schedule. The only downside that some may consider a downside is that you run the risk of never "leaving work at work." And, yeah, I have a work Blackberry that I do carry around with me (having two cell phones is really a PITA, by the way) and do respond to important emails regardless of time...though, to be fair, such emails are rare.
This, of course, allows for my night owl tendencies to emerge and to the blurring of the week/weekend boundaries. But I much prefer it this way...I've always been very passionate about my work and view it (usually) as a very creative endeavor, so it can truly be a pleasure to "work." Plus, it affords me the ability to enjoy life in a manner that would be impossible in a typical 9 - 5 setting. I keep thinking it would be the ideal situation in which to have a child...of course, I'd need the partner first, but I'm working on it (see first sentence, above ;) ).
Anyway, I just find it interesting to be able to have a successful career outside of the typical 9 - 5 routine. And I am so very thankful that my "new" company is so very progressive in this regard.