Would you rather work from home or at the office?

This sounds diplomatic and cliche, but there really are pros and cons to both. Working from home, the line between business and personal is very easily blurred and that was the main disadvantage for me. Sure I could do laundry, but I often found myself fielding calls and working at the computer well after my kids went to bed. I did save a ton on gas though having no commute. I played with my dog at lunchtime. Being at the office keeps you plugged into what's going on at work. One thing I was not happy with about working from home was being the last to know anything about what was going on at the office.

I much prefer working from home. There are no disruptions from nosy or bothersome co-workers, I don't have to take time off to go home to meet the repairman and if I need to make a personal call I am using my own phone and I have privacy.

I have some international clients so I might work at 3 am because that is when they are in their office and we can e-mail or call and get immediate responses so we don't have to deal with time delays.

However, the best part may be that if I go to get another cup of coffee and the pot is empty, the only jerk to blame for not making a new pot is me!

Imagine you could avoid the commute, separate your office from your home so you're not always working, and surround yourself with likeminded people so you have the needed social connections: wouldn't that be ideal?

This is my ideal, and I find it in coworking spaces. The basic idea is you rent a desk in a place where you are surrounded by other remote workers. You probably can't wear pajamas, and you won't be watching TV at 1pm, but you get a comfortable working space, interesting people to create chance conversations, and you can choose your location.

Working remotely seems great for task oriented folks because you can get more "work" done, but you will miss the collaborative opportunities of the office. Finding a coworking space makes up for this somewhat.

I've been telecommuting for a nonprofit for about 7 years now and I love it. It works out well for my employer because I believe they actually get more work out of me. In fact, it's 3:30 in the morning now and, since I couldn't sleep worrying about a deadline, I'm up working! It works out for me because it gives me the flexibility to do laundry while I'm working, get dinner started while I'm working, etc. As an internet marketing consultant, most of the work I do is conducted online and I can always use tools such as GoToMeeting to "meet" with people. And, no, I don't miss the interpersonal social aspects of working in an office either.

I have always enjoyed working from home more than working in the office especially when I live in a state that has congested traffic (MD). The 1.5 hours that I spend in traffic each day is usually better spent working.
I have found that when working from home I get more done due to less interruptions and better focus. My home office is configured specifically for me and not to some corporate standard that doesn't suite me as well.
The major downside to telework is communication and that can be handled well by manager and employee alike. Both parties have to ensure lines of communication, be it IM, phone or video conferencing, is properly utilized to share information in timely fashion.
Something to consider is personality types as all people do not work well without supervision but as for me teleworking a few times a week is great. With gas prices on the rise without any relief in sight I am focusing on positions where I can telework on most days if not all days.

For me, working from home works best. I hope to never work in another office again. But it's not for everyone; you've got to have dedication to get your work done and not get distracted by laundry!

Such great insite into others work lives. I also enjoy working from home, but face the same challenges!

I do not work best in an office; I never have. One of the biggest benefits of being an entrepreneur for me is being able to work from home, the car, the beach, or wherever I am.

Working from home requires discipline; straight and simple. You must conduct yourself just as if you were going into a corporate office setting and if you can do this, then it works out very nicely. This does not mean you have to wear business clothes everyday, all day. But certainly when meeting with customers or clients this is a requirement. Working from home offers a level of flexibility you do not have by working in an office. IBM Global Services was one of the first global corporations to make 'mobile employees' a success model where you worked out of a home office but deployed to client sites usually on Monday mornings and came home Thursday evenings. The thing is with this type of work setting, you employer has you 24 by 7. If you are self-employed, it is nearly like that as well. I prefer working out of a home office, having a virtual office if you will, but need that business-social interaction of being with clients/customers and other business associates. Working from home or an office; both have upsides and downsides.

It has been my experience that when I need to fully concentrate on a project or analysis it is best to work from home. You will need to have a certain location at home specifically for working. By doing so you self discipline yourself that when you need to work on something you have a spot where you can concentrate and others understand you are not to be disturbed unless unavoidable.

I am more productive working from a home office, but I like the combination of both. There are things that you cannot attend to from a home office.

I definitely like working at home better. I've been working at home for over 8 years, and really love it. Don't see how I could go back. I am the kind of person who can focus well, so I have the discipline to get the work done. I work for myself too, which motivates me even more.

I remember in one of my previous jobs I asked if I could come in at 10 am in order to avoid the morning rush hour (Los Angeles). I generally worked late anyhow, and my boss said yes. When I came in at 10 am everybody was already settled and working at their desks, and so I was able to arrive and get to work without the morning social hour. Coming it at 10 I never left any later because I actually saved that morning chat hour. While it's fun to have friends, I realized how much time I was spending at work just talking to them.

I like a combination. It's good to have the flexibility and lack of commute that working from home offers, but I miss the "buzz" and face-to-face interaction that an office gives you. Either way the working hours end up about the same for me. My ideal situation would be a couple of days in the office and the rest of the time working from home.

Now if I could just figure out how to stay off of airplanes...!

Prefer to work at home . I have more time with my car and of course more time to concentrate on my work, I write article most of my time so i need time to think.