Work at Home? Hidden Risks

 Many workers prefer working at home. They save money in several ways, from time saved to pure money. They can do the work just as well, lunch at home, and no travel.  So, what can be wrong? Let me count the ways. 

• The water cooler. First, you are no where near the water cooler, where office gossip from who's in and who's out is discussed - and everything so mundane but important in a working organization. 
• You miss day-to-day contact with co-workers. Don't misconstrue the importance of the social aspects of your job. 
• You lose the possibility of promotions, as your boss only sees your work and never you. 
• You lose learning of the possibilities of other jobs in the neighborhood. This diminishes probable  changes in your career. 

Finally, and nobody talks about this because large scale work from home is so new...

• Gradually, over years, you slowly become detached from your company. You hardly know it's happening, but you know less about it, beyond your daily tasks. You scarcely know the directions of your company, and you hardly care. You become little more than a contract worker. You become expendable, and who cares about them? 

My experience is from teaching online for twenty years. By the time I finished, I hardly knew anyone and only old friends knew me. The secretaries turned over a couple of times; so I knew them not. I was like an adjunct in my own world.