Flexible jobs can thank the evolving technological world for their growing popularity. As industries advance, the ease by which to work freelance and remotely increases. Additionally, the opportunities to work short-term and shift-based side jobs with flexible hours becomes more accessible.

Flexible part time jobs from home may be more accessible to people now, but is it worth it for you?

Top 5 Unexpected Pros and Cons of Flexible Jobs

The Pros of Flexible Jobs

1. Productivity

Stanford University concluded that working from home can have a significant impact on productivity, including higher performance measurements, less sick days per employee, and less wasted time at work. With proper diligence, these performance attributes can apply to most flexible jobs. Less time spent preparing to leave the house and dealing with traffic could lead to a less chaotic morning overall. This may also give employees access to new skills and new opportunities to advance.

2. Security

On average, temporary positions are lengthening in duration per year, and have been the gateway to finding other opportunities and ways to advance. These jobs can also provide a better sense of work security when employees have more than one agency to rely on. They can even expand their abilities to employers nationwide when they work from home.

3. Health

Flexible jobs have many physical, emotional, and mental health benefits that a standard full-time position may not offer. Working from home reduces the need to drive in rush hour traffic, suffer a stressful workplace environment, and catch a colleague’s cold. These not only help the employee become more productive but also saves the business money on their bottom line.

4. Comfort

According to a survey by FlexJobs, the top five reasons why people choose to work from home include:

Fewer interruptions while working
Fewer distractions
Less office politics to manage
Reduced stress
More comfortable work environment.

In times where the job market is tough, flexible jobs provide the psychological comfort of structure and meaning in life.

5. Taxes

Did you know that working from home can mean deducting your home office during tax season? According to the IRS, if you use part of your home exclusively and regularly as your place of business, you may be eligible to make the deduction.

The Cons of Flexible Jobs

1. Relationships

Employees in traditional workplaces can build relationships and establish unity without the need to hold a Skype meeting. Managers are able to see their employees and observe them organically. Having a flexible job may be like wearing an invisibility cloak in front of employers. Your work is valued, but your personality and work ethic may remain unseen. This can be costly when the company is looking to promote.

2. Communication

Are you going to hear when your company is looking to fill a new position? Will your manager be able to reach you? Are you going to be able to collaborate with a team? Flexible workers often sacrifice the chance to feel like they are part of a team. They favor speaking when it’s necessary for business, not when they have ideas. And they will need to research their own company to remain up-to-date with its goals and business forecast.

3. Inability to Leave

Employees with flexible jobs may face having to train themselves to stop working once they get home or close their laptops. In a flexible job, it’s easy to continue working even once the job is done. The lack of a fixed schedule may mean having the compulsion to think about the job 24/7, or having employers think you are accessible 24/7. Setting expectations for availability is a must when taking on a flexible job in any kind of recurring capacity.

4. Burnout

Working long hours, irregular hours, or for an uncertain amount of time can ware on the mind, just as lacking a sense of community, leadership, and teamwork can also take a toll and lead to feelings of burnout. Even worse, if an employee has a concern, it is less likely in a flexible job that they will bring it to management’s attention.

5. Environment

Flexible jobs with varying schedules can encourage employees to feel that they have a lack of ownership over their environment. Especially when that work is being conducted at home, not having the ability to feel invested in the workspace, and not feeling able to transition back into the home space, can be a major disadvantage of having a flexible job.

Consider the many advantages and disadvantages of flexible work before pursuing a flexible job. If the idea of developing useful skills while at the comfort of your home is appealing to you, get started at KnowledgeCity. Try our courses Workplace Stress and Effective Meetings with your Free Demo.

Photo credit: University of Salford via Foter.com / CC BY