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Last Updated on July 18, 2019 by Work In My Pajamas
Working at home can often create some interesting debates when it comes to recovering from an accident or sickness. When you don’t feel your best, you undoubtedly need to recover and allow yourself to return to your former fighting-fit self.
However, sometimes part of the return-to-work procedure can involve working from home in the interim. So, what are the pros and cons of this approach?
In This Post:
Pro: Time to rest
You won’t be able to rest-up in the office if you are recovering from an injury or illness with the same efficiency as if you were at home. Being able to get comfortable and eat and drink as you need to is far easier in the comfort of your own home.
Pro: More flexi-time
There’s no doubt about it – working from home is a great way to take advantage of flexi-time. If you have to take a trip to the pharmacy or go to a doctor’s appointment, working from home will allow you to do this as and when you need to.
Pro: Time to sort out legal paperwork
If you are keeping the job afloat by doing some work at home, you should hopefully have a little more time on your hands, as a result of not needing to commute. If you have experienced an accident, then you will need to start undergoing legal proceedings to get compensation for the time off work you will be taking. Finding a specialized lawyer in your local city or state is the best way to go about this. Finding New York City personal injury attorneys that can help you with a work related injury, for example, would help you to move proceedings forward.
Con: Tempting to pause resting period
Whether you’re a freelancer, or would otherwise be working at your desk, working at home when you’re sick does come with some setbacks. It’s worth remembering that you do need to actually take time off to recover. After all, it has been argued that working when you are sick should be a completely voluntary act. Just because you are at home doesn’t mean you are being afforded a luxury – take time off in bed if you need it. Don’t let the guilt of not being in the office force you to work harder than you usually would.
Con: Not enough delegation
It can be hard to delegate tasks if you are working from home. Not being there in person can make the act of giving employees different responsibilities less immediate. You may have to do this via conference calls and email, which may feel awkward at the time.
Con: Missing your office friends
As well as the practical issues of recovering at home, you will also experience an emotional toll. It is completely normal to miss your office colleagues and friends. Dropping in for the odd visit is one of the best ways to remedy this.
Ideally, when you are recovering from an injury, you will need to do so at home. This allows you to get comfortable, rest, and work on a timescale that suits your needs. However, the purpose of working from home when injured is to also rest; don’t push yourself too hard.
