Working from home has been great. Saving time from travelling to and from work, more time to sleep in, more time for family etc. But at the same time, I find that I am getting emails/calls from work colleagues even outside of working hours, sometimes with the expectation that I reply immediately even though it is after work hours or on a weekend.
Just out of curiosity, what's your experience so far?
It's simple.
1. Find somewhere reasonable to work.
2. Negotiate the hours you work. If you're asked to do things out of hours, you should either be compensated (on call built into the salary or given as overtime or genuine time in lieu).
3. Flexibility should be equal. If you can't take time to go to a medical appointment for a couple of hours during work without taking the day off, you shouldn't be asked to work outside of your agreed hours.
4. Never refuse a call. It might be an emergency. Always answer. The answer can always be "I'll get to it when I'm next at work" if it isn't an emergency. Emergencies are easy to recognise. They involve physical or mental harm, loss of money by the company or loss of reputation by you, your colleagues or your company. They aren't just poor planning and adult tantrums wanting everything done immediately.
5. If there is a constant barrage of emergencies, address the systemic issues that lead to them during work hours. Help make and execute a plan.
If steps 2-5 are not possible, goto step 1.
I would have just said "No" or don't reply to them. Plenty of people send me emails at odd hours but it's not healthy to work all the time; you need a work/life balance. For many that continue to work overtime, people will expect it the more often you do it.
I send emails or put in chat messages outside of work hours. I have no expectation that people respond right away and I have often conversation with my team to communicate this with them.
On the other side, I may or may not check my emails outside work hours. If there is an emergency (and it would better be an emergency) I will work outside work hours (when I do not want to) and I will take time off in return.
Don't answer your phone, simple. "sorry i was done for the day and my phone wasn't with me".
If you choose to read your emails out of hours then absolutely do not respond to them, if you do you set that expectation. If it's something you want to deal with then and there then compose a draft, then review it in the morning and fire it off.
@paradise:
So still nothing concrete? Not one example? "Let them eat cake?".Why can't you tell me what you do?
What exactly can you make or do without spending any time making it or doing it?
Instability = High Risk = Potentially no reward = Destitution.
It's not a "sacrifice". It's a gamble, and with low odds of winning. You're more likely to be broke at 50 than get rich chasing passive wealth. For every entrepeneur there are millions who failed.
You're still a slave. Plenty of businesses fail and the business owners I have seen succeed weren't comfortable and living the high life at 50. They worked into their 70s or longer trying to hold on to that wealth and they're still missing time with family and friends even in their old age. Good hard-working people, but I wouldn't associate running a business with quality of life.
Explain to me simply how someone who supports a family makes money without trading their time for money.