Holly老師的英語新天地

Task 2: The advantages and disadvantages of working at home

請注意：此為自由式的進階寫作範本，所以並未套用課程中的模板喔！同學可以先當作閱讀賞析，並從中學習漂亮的句子或片語。

Working from Home: Is It Better?

With the advent of the Internet and ‘outsourcing’ of work by major companies, an increasing number of people are opting out of the traditional nine-to-five office routine.

During the Sydney 2000 Olympics, some companies allowed certain employees to work from home to avoid traffic congestion and crowded public transport. In some cases, it was so successful in terms of improving productivity and employee morale that certain companies considered allowing their staff to work from home permanently.

The benefits of working from home are many. It enables employees to work flexible hours in a comfortable environment. They don’t have to waste time or money on commuting. It also enables employees with children to juggle their schedules so they can spend more time with their kids.

The dress code is casual so you don’t have to spend a fortune dressing for success. Unless you are meeting clients, you can wear jeans, sloppy Joes, hoots, even pajamas while you work.

Best of all, you don’t have to worry about office politics. Like any artificial collective, the traditional office tends to throw you in with people you ordinarily wouldn’t give the time of clay to. Unless your diplomatic skills are absolutely top notch, it’s highly unlikely that you will get along with everybody at work. There’s nothing like personality clashes, particularly with superiors, to kill your morale.

When you work from home, on the other hand, you’ve only got to worry about yourself. Your only contact with your employers or clients will be via the telephone or Internet. There aren’t any workplace Nazis tapping their watches if you’re five minutes late or stopping by your desk every five minutes to ‘see how you’re getting on’. For some, this can be very liberating.

But the benefits of working from home can also be a downside depending on your attitude. Some people don’t work well independently. They need constant reinforcement, supervision and encouragement.

The home office is also filled with distractions. Unless you’re highly motivated, the temptation to just do a few things around the house, play with your kids, watch television or grab another cup of coffee can seriously hurt your productivity.

Working from home can also be very isolating. You miss out on those gossip sessions by the water cooler, Friday night drinks, farewell lunches and Christmas parties. There’s nobody to bounce ideas off or to swap ‘war stories’ with.

Perhaps the greatest disadvantage of working from home is it becomes more difficult to separate your working life from your personal life. In a traditional office, you can walk out the door at 5.30 pm on a Friday and leave all your problems behind you. But if you work from home, you’re always at work.