Lately, a lot of companies have started asking their workforce to return to the office after enjoying work from home (WFH) ever since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

But which is actually better for you as an employee? Let's compare working from home and working from an office and discuss the pros and cons of each.

The Pros of Work From Home

1. More Flexibility and Freedom

Being able to work in your comfy pajamas at your own pace away from scrutinous managers is a benefit that's hard to quantify. In fact, more than half of our readers prefer work from home.

Working from home is especially useful for parents with young kids since it allows them to attend to their needs without necessarily having to take leaves, contributing to a better work-life balance and increased job satisfaction.

2. No More Commute to Work

In the US, the average one-way commute to work is a little under 30 minutes according to Zippia. That's roughly an hour of round-trip commute a day or 260 hours a year assuming you work five days a week.

The average hourly wage as of July 2023 is $33.74 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. So that's $8,772 you're losing each year in lost wages. Note that we haven't even accounted for costs like fuel, car maintenance, and depreciation yet!

3. It's Better for the Environment

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, transportation accounted for 28% of all greenhouse gas emissions in 2021, making it the biggest contributor to climate change.

That means working from home is not just better for you, but also for the environment since you're reducing your carbon footprint by not driving your car to work, for example.

4. It Can Lower Your Expenses

Aside from not having to commute, you can also save money working from home by not having to spend on childcare, buying lunch at work, and updating your wardrobe every year.

Also, since rent is much higher in commercial areas than in residential areas, you can move to a cheaper place that's further away from your workplace without having to switch jobs.

The Cons of Work From Home

1. It's Easier to Procrastinate at Home

Although it's less stressful, working at home makes it easier to procrastinate since the working hours are not clearly defined, and you don't have a direct manager supervising you. For people who lack self-control and a good work ethic, working from home can invite laziness.

2. It Can Be More Distracting

In an office, everyone has a mutual understanding that work is the main objective. But at home, there are a number of things that can distract you like important errands, housework, loud neighbors, visitors, your kids, or even just doomscrolling social media.

3. It Can Get Lonely and Isolating

Water cooler chats at work may seem trivial, but they do admittedly fulfill your social needs. Working from home has the tendency to feel isolating after a while. After all, Zoom meetings are not a substitute for rich, in-person conversations.

4. It Can Subject You to Bias During Appraisals

If you're working from home, but your colleagues aren't, you might be perceived as less committed or loyal to the company. This in turn can subject you to bias during appraisals as those who worked in the office may be able to negotiate a higher pay raise.

The Pros of Work From Office

1. Faster Communication With Your Team

A verbal discussion with a colleague sitting next to you about a presentation due next week, for example, is way faster than texting them on Slack and waiting for their reply.

Working in an office with your team also fosters creativity, problem-solving, and rapport-building since you can brainstorm together and bounce ideas off each other.

2. It Teaches You Hard and Soft Skills

If you're new to the industry, it's better to work in an office than to work at home. Why? Because learning new skills and getting hands-on experience are more important priorities to you for now, and those things are harder to come when working from home.

3. It Makes Planning Your Day Easier

Planning your day becomes easier when you have a fixed schedule. Sure, it's not very convenient, but once you're done with your working hours in the office, how you use the rest of your day is totally up to you. But when working from home, employees are often expected to be available well past their normal schedule.

4. It's Better for Career Growth

Working on-site can also prove to be better for your career growth since it grants you deeper industry exposure, builds your network, and helps advance to higher positions. When working from home, those opportunities are easier to miss.

The Cons of Work From Office

1. Lack of Privacy

Micromanaging superiors and overly friendly colleagues can encroach on your personal space at work and make you unable to concentrate. Such is not the case at home, although remote workers do have to deal with employee surveillance software.

2. Encourages a Sedentary Lifestyle

One lesser-discussed con of working from an office is the extreme lack of mobility. Sure, you might have the comfiest chair in the world, but we don't need to remind you how unhealthy it can be to sit in one place for eight hours in a row almost every day.

3. More Stressful and Demanding

There's no sugarcoating it—some offices are terrible places to work. Unless you're someone who has high stress tolerance or works in a company with a rather laid-back culture, working from an office is usually much more stressful and can be anxiety-inducing, especially in certain industries and high-profile jobs.

4. You Can't Work at Your Own Pace

Some people are naturally more productive in the evening or at night, but if your workplace is like most others, you're expected to come to work every morning at the exact same time. This can be ineffective because you're not allowed—let alone encouraged—to work when you're at your peak energy level.

More People Prefer Working From Home

Study after study concludes the same thing: more people prefer working from home than on-site. It's becoming increasingly more common for job seekers today to look for remote work opportunities and prioritize flexibility alongside pay.

Of course, WFH isn't ideal for all industries, and not everyone prefers it. And if you're new to the industry, it definitely helps to get some hands-on experience and industry exposure first before you go hunting for remote work.