Alternative Work Schedules

I am so incredibly lucky that I have an employer that supports alternative work schedules. I work full time but two days a week I work from home. I am set up with a laptop, VPN access and a pager. My role at work is one of support but the internal customers I support are all over the country so they have no idea if I'm at home or my desk in the office.

I can not even express how wonderful it is to work from home these two days. When my son was an infant I would go visit him at his daycare during my lunch hour. I did sign an agreement with my employer that my toddler son will be in daycare while I'm working. These days during my lunch I usually go to the grocery store, drycleaners, get my oil changed, or run any other number of errands or I scrub bathrooms, or run the vacuum cleaner, mop the floor.....you name it.

I also love that I don't have to deal with traffic. My commute is pretty easy but commuting to the office downstairs is wonderful. I wear shorts or sweats, sloppy t-shirts, flip flops and skip the makeup.

The question I am most often asked is......can you really get work done at home. OH YES, even more than I can in the office. I am not distracted by everyone's phone ringing and people aren't stopping my desk to chat.

The best part is that I get to spend more time with my family. Instead of sitting in minivan commuting to work I am playing with my son!

Sam