Discussing working from home, self-employment

What is working from home?
Working from home is when you can do some or all of your work from home, or anywhere other than your normal workplace. It is also known as remote working. Some advantages of working from home are:

• YOU can work in a quieter environment with fewer distractions;
• YOU rarely need to travel for work, or maybe never at all; and,
• YOU have fewer social interactions (which can be positive if you have social anxiety, for example).

Some disadvantages of working from home are:

• YOU might not get as much direct support from your employer;
• YOU might lack suitable work equipment at home;
• YOU can feel isolated and not part of your team or company; and,
• SWITCHING off work at the end of the day can feel difficult.

What is self-employment?
Self-employment means working for yourself rather than a company or employer. Sometimes, it is known as being a freelancer or an independent contractor. Some advantages of being self-employed are:

• YOU have complete control of the hours you work;
• YOU can work from home, a co-working space or wherever suits you; and,
• YOU have a greater choice over who you work with and the work you want to take on.

Some disadvantages of being self-employed are:

• YOU have an unreliable workload which could also mean an uncertain income;
• YOU might find it hard to find stability and a sense of routine; and,
• YOU have fewer employment rights.

Next week, we continue our discussion on self-employment