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Is working from home better than working from an office?
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Working from home is lonely

Working from home can be isolating and lonely, which can hurt a person's mental health and job performance.
Mental Health Work

The Argument

Working from home can be harmful to a persons' mental health. Staying home every day can be isolating and lonely, which makes it more difficult to find the motivation to work. When there is no physical place for an employee to commute to, people can feel disconnected from their coworkers and company.[1] Those who work remotely typically separate themselves from others to focus better on their job. But, working independently creates a sense of loneliness that can affect work performance. There is no feedback or comparison to coworkers, so it creates constant worry that they are underperforming.[2] Traditional offices are beneficial to a persons' mental health due to daily socialization. Companies can create a sensation of face-to-face communication for remote workers using video chats, but it cannot be compared to in-person conversations. The feeling of isolation and loneliness that people feel from working at home can negatively affect their mental health, motivation, and job performance.[3]

Counter arguments

Working from home does not have to be lonely or damaging to someone's mental health. Remote workers are able to do their job from any location, so they could go to a public place during work, such as a cafe or library. Video and phone calls are helpful in combating loneliness because of communication with other employees. People are able to socialize and communicate with others, even without a traditional office space.

Proponents

Premises

[P1] Working from home is isolating and lonely. [P2] While working remotely, there is no face to face socialization with other coworkers. [P3] The loneliness caused by working from home can poorly affect mental health and job performance. [P4] Therefore, working from home is not better than a traditional office.

Rejecting the premises

References

  1. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/working-from-home-mental-health_n_5afd88e2e4b0a59b4e014602
  2. https://www.nbcnews.com/better/wellness/working-home-making-you-miserable-n763711
  3. https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/30/success/loneliness-working-from-home-wellness/index.html
This page was last edited on Monday, 2 Nov 2020 at 18:37 UTC

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