Let me ask you a question - Does a bus driver take their work home?
Do security officers do their work at home?
Is the cook, waitress, store clerk taking their work home?
Big questions - When you leave the office or your job, are you still being paid? Then why are you working for free?
Here's a simple question, why are you working so hard for your paycheck? To make things better for your family? To improve things so you'll have money to take trips, pay for college and retirement?
What about right now? If your kids are young do you want them to remember you coming home from work to spend time with them - helping with homework, talking about their day, playing and laughing, helping with dinner? Or the memory of you coming home and after a few moments going into an at home office or spreading work out on a spare table or desk, not available - not really home, because you are busy doing "work".
Work you should have left at work! If you are a professional, a lawyer, doctor, teacher - you might fall into this also. But even you can make sure that tests are graded, cases are reviewed and work is done before going home. If you need extra help, find a way to get it. Work belongs in the workplace, in your office and if you work at home - leave it in the home office. Home time is family time. It's the reason you are working so hard, but it doesn't mean you have to work for free or miss out on being with your family.
Even if you're young and haven't started a family, learn to make sure you are getting a fair pay for the work you do. You have a life outside of work, at least, you should. Don't let employers trick you into working "off the clock" - it's not fair to you and to be fair, he should be finishing up his own work. See? He/She's not taking work home - they get others to do it for them. Plus they don't pay for it!
Do one better, get some extra help if the employer won't, especially if you're a teacher or other professional. Put a suggestion box in the main office - when it's full send it to the Big Cheese - whoever that may be. Peek at some of the suggestions if you want - (you might want to weed out the not so nice ones - there are clowns in every business.)
Put up posters on a notice board asking for an assistant. One of the ambitious types is sure to answer and you can offer a set price for what you need done. Never expect others to work for free, if you don't want to be working for free. Make sure you choose the right assistant too - one that will be helpful and allow you to finish your work at work.
What's the point of working our butts off if we're going to miss out on those special firsts with our kids. Missing games, dances, camp outs, picnics, pillow fights and sleep overs - wouldn't you rather be calling them to you for hugs - instead of yelling "Be quiet! I'm trying to work!"
The face of the whole economy is changing. Industries are being born and disappearing, some fields are growing, while others are phasing out. Who knows what's going to be the norm in a few years. But what shouldn't be the norm anymore is taking work home from the office and working off the clock for free.
For those that decide to work at home, make sure that you set up a work time for yourself and a time that you won't be working. Even if it's a flexible time, at least make sure that you make time for both work and family. We all need balance.
It's long overdue that some of us find it.
