Onsite work vs. Work-From-Home: Which is better? (Based on actual experience)

Last Updated on: 16th September 2024, 04:23 am

With the controversial statement of an IT company that prefers onsite work because working from home makes you “dumber,” the debate between onsite work vs. work-from-home is still heated. But which is really better? As someone who has switched from on-site work to work-from-home, here’s my take on this discourse- based on actual experience.

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Onsite work vs. Work-From-Home: Which is better?

Onsite Work Experience

What are the advantages of onsite work?

• Face-to-face interaction. One of the perks of working on-site is socializing with your officemates face-to-face and developing friendships with them. I’ve missed this the most now that I’m working from home, where I’m mostly alone. I barely know my online officemates since whenever we chat, we just talk about work. It doesn’t mean you cannot form friendships with them- it’s just that it’s a challenge since it’s still better when you meet your officemates in person if you want to bond with them. At my previous online work, most of my officemates were located in the provinces, so we didn’t have a chance to have a meet-up, which is kinda sad since I got close to them too, even if we just chatted online.
• A Quicker Resolution. Whenever you need help, your boss or colleague is just a cubicle away, thus resolving issues immediately. In my case, I can express myself more when talking to someone personally rather than explaining it online. This is also an advantage, especially when you encounter technical issues and can quickly get IT team support. My friend, who is also working from home, encountered a technical issue with his laptop, so he went to his company’s main office, which is 3 hours away, just to have it fixed.
• Company Activities. As an introvert, this is not an issue since I’m not fond of attending company parties and other events. However, I liked attending company seminars and training because aside from learning a skill, I got to travel and meet new people. I’ve had seminars and training in my work-from-home job, but all of them are online. While some companies in a WFH setup provide training outside, it’s quite a few compared to companies who work onsite.

What are the disadvantages of onsite work?

• Commute. If you live in the Philippines, this will most likely be your number one reason. Commuting here is almost described as dehumanizing. Long lines in MRT and van terminals, getting stuck in traffic, congested public transport—the list goes on and on. Picture this: You woke up early at 5:00 AM for your 9:00 AM office, only to get late because of traffic. Yes, it happened to me, and commuting has been a daily ordeal while working onsite. My work had not yet even started, and I was already tired because of commuting.
• Expenses. Just the commute takes up almost half of my expenses. Meals can be expensive too, since cafeteria food was quite expensive in my previous office. Some of my officemates had to rent an apartment near our office since they live in the province, and rent rates are costly.
• Office Politics. This is actually my number one disadvantage of working onsite. Office politics took a huge toll on my mental health due to controlling bosses and toxic officemates. It’s not really about how well you do your job, but how you please your colleagues. It’s challenging to work when office politics is involved because it fosters manipulation and trust issues instead of building camaraderie in the workplace. I’ve met many people who resigned and opted for an online job just because of this, which is disappointing because I can see that they are responsible and talented employees. Their only fault was refusing to be a doormat to their officemates.
• Work-life imbalance. Your work will be your life, literally. When I was still working in the office, my interactions with my family and friends became fewer since I was mostly at work and worked overtime almost every day. It isn’t easy to manage personal commitments and even hangouts with my friends because of my busy schedule at work.

Work-From-Home Experience

What are the advantages of work-from-home?

• Flexibility. Working from home allows me to live outside work, even during working hours. During breaks, I can do household chores and help my parents, such as cooking and washing the dishes. I can exercise every morning and eat breakfast at home, which I could not do while working onsite. Aside from my full-time job, I can also manage to do some freelance work, which helps me earn additional income. Flexibility at work has a lot of perks- it promotes a great work-life balance.
• Increased Productivity. A pre-pandemic experiment among employees of a Chinese travel agency showed that those selected for a work-from-home setup showed a productivity increase of 13% because of a quieter workspace and convenient working environment. I can attest to this; I’ve become more productive in my work because I’m away from the noise of an office, especially from chatty officemates. I’m also away from distractions such as coffee breaks, which sometimes can take longer, and noisy meetings. I can also take a quick power nap and go outside to take a breather, which refreshes my mind, thus increasing productivity.
• More Comfortable and Peaceful. No more office politics and unnecessary meetings. I no longer wear uniforms and painful high heels when going to work—most of the time, I’m just working in plain shirts and shorts with slippers, except for on-cam meetings where I need to wear a blazer. I can switch working from my desk to a comfy couch in the living room. Working from home has definitely made my life more comfortable and peaceful.
• You can work anywhere. As long as you have a pocket Wi-Fi and a stable connection, you can work anywhere. The good thing about my company now is we just meet every two months, so sometimes I work in a coffee shop, in my friend’s house, or a co-working space. Some of my officemates even travel to their provinces, sometimes to a beach resort, and even out of the country. Of course, this depends on your company because some companies require weekly face-to-face meetings.

What are the disadvantages of work-from-home?

• Isolation from co-workers and loss of productive collaboration. Since I’m mostly alone at my desk, it’s difficult to escape loneliness. But I counter it by interacting with my family members at home and having small hangouts with my friends on weekends. I also noticed that we have more impromptu conversations during our face-to-face meetings, which can lead to creative ideas that would not happen if we were having an online meeting.
• Temptations at home. I’m so guilty of this. Instead of replying to my unread messages in the inbox, I’ll have an impromptu conversation with my sister, which sometimes lasts about 20 minutes. My desk is also beside my bed, which makes me sleepy sometimes, and I imagine the blankets wrapped around me. Here are some of the temptations you may experience- my other friends who work from home can relate to this, too.
• Burnout. The boundaries between your life and job may be blurry, throwing you off the balance and resulting in burnout. Sometimes I almost forget to take lunch until my mother reminds me, since our lunch breaks are flexible- it’s up to us what time we’ll take lunch. Work can easily spill into my personal time, leading to longer working hours.
• Health Concerns. Working from home means sitting for long periods and lack of movement, which can lead to physical health issues, such as back pain or eye strain.

The verdict

So, which is truly better? I prefer a work-from-home setup because it has given me freedom, unlike working on-site, which felt more like a prison. However, this debate varies from person to person, and some pros may be cons for others. Success in work also depends on our attitude and work ethic, whether on-site or work-from-home.