[AndyParkinson]

Great review/post.

Remote work is the way of the future. A recent study from of IBM employees showed that if employees have a modest commute then they only need to work 38 hours/week before they start to have work/life balance issues.

If employees work for a company that allows them to telecommute, they can work almost 60 hours per week before running in to work/life balance issues. That's a big deal.

(That's not to say you should put in 60 hour weeks if you can help it, but it highlights the negative effects a commute has on people and their happiness in life.)

[amplification]

I can identify with that completely.

The commute just killed me - added so much stress and load. It affected me at work (I'd come into the office feeling burnt out), and it affected me at home (I'd often arrive home deflated).

[AH4oFVbPT4f8]

Is it the commute or the interruptions at work? I find that my commute is only 22km on 2 roads which takes about 35 minutes to drive, but it's the constant interruptions that slow me down so much. Working remotely frees me from those allowing me more time to concentration on the current task or project.

[thirsteh]

As someone who worked from home for a while but now work in NYC and program for a living: definitely both. Somewhat physically draining and (very) time-wasting commute, and lots of interruptions when in the zone.

However, many tasks are tens of times easier to complete when you can walk over to somebody and get an answer to your problem. I don't care how many Basecamp, VoIP installs and standups you have--trying to do the same remotely doesn't compare.