Teleworking is becoming more and more popular nowadays. They say people can save a lot of time by not commuting into an office downtown and that this kind of lifestyle can give them higher productivity, better quality of life, flexibility in schedule, and more time for the family.

‘Presenteeism’

But what are the negative effects of teleworking? Humans, by nature, are dominated by the need for face-to-face contact and “presenteeism” — the need to be around the office. In this fast-paced life, the boundaries between work and home become increasingly vague. What psychological pressure does this impose upon us and our relationships with friends and families?

With the ever-increasing popularity of telecommuting, people find more time to work instead of more time for leisure. They see vacant hours as additional opportunity to earn more bucks. Thus, teleworkers are more prone to log 15 to 20 hours extra per week, mainly because the power of technology allows them to do so. This super-busy lifestyle tends to have significant effect on the work-life balance of a person, as well as his well-being.

‘A fine balance’

Some workaholics admit to having logged on even on holidays, just because their bosses and colleagues expect them to do so. This leads to compounded stress and lack of sleep, which in turn, would translate to negative effects on family relationships. After all, how do you spend quality time with family when you are too exhausted and are constantly in your work environment?

There is actually a fine balance between achieving the benefits of teleworking and maintaining a healthy social and physical life. Constantly working longer hours may step on our personal lives and disrupt it significantly. Still, when the right balance is hit, mobile workers can enjoy a healthy social life, feel more in control of their time and well-being, and become more efficient workers.

How do you achieve a perfect balance between work and personal life? Do you think telecommuting is bad for your well-being?

Image: Smart Woman