Pros and Cons of Working from Home in 2025
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, many employees find themselves working fully or partially from home. In fact, a recent McKinsey survey found that 58% of employees in the U.S. said they can work remotely at least part of the time. The ease of working in the same place that you live is appealing to some, but distracting for others.
As remote working has become the new norm, it’s important to note that what’s popular isn’t always best for an individual’s success. Getting into a routine of going to an office and interacting with different co-workers everyday can be helpful. However, the safeness and familiarity of your own house may be the right place for you.
Below are the pros and cons of working from home to help you decide which work environment is better for you: a remote or traditional office space.
Pros of Working from Home
1. Flexible Hours
The ability to create your own schedule, not commute to work everyday, and be productive in your prime hours is highly beneficial for some people.
In an American Opportunity Survey, 21% of people looking for a job ranked a flexible working schedule as one of their top priorities. Remote working is helpful for people who are busy with caring for children and dealing with appointments, so that they can work their schedule around their life.
2. Work-Life Balance
Working from home allows employees to make time for other things that are important to them besides work. A study by PwC found that 67% of employees report that they experience a better work-life balance when working from home.
This balance is essential to long-term success for workers, allowing them to spend time with family and friends and have a relaxing schedule catered to their needs.
3. Custom Workspace and Dress Code
A big pro that many remote employees appreciate is the flexibility with their at-home offices and dress code. Some people prefer customizing their own workspace, whether it be a desk in the corner of their bedroom or a makeshift office. A space that is quiet and familiar will maximize productivity.
Plus, the dress code is much more lenient at home! Comfort is the key to success at the workplace.
Cons of Working from Home
1. Dealing with Distractions
While working from home has many benefits, it can also be quite distracting. It takes someone who is motivated and disciplined to focus on working from home all day. When stress from work gets too much to handle, people may find themselves procrastinating with other home tasks and having trouble with adjusting to a work environment.
2. Lack of Social Interaction
A con that is an important factor for many people is the social isolation resulting from working at home. With your own private space and lack of interpersonal connections during the day, it’s easy to feel lonely and detached from your company’s culture.
In fact, a Kaiser Family Foundation survey about loneliness and social isolation found that “33% said it affected the ability to do their job.” This proves that the small conversations to the formal meetings that employees share in the office help to bring people together and create success.
3. Communication Issues
Building off of the lack of social interaction, working from home forces all methods of communication to default to online, even when the conversation would be better in person. Conversations over email, text, or video call can lead to miscommunication because of the nuances of tone, body language, and facial expressions that are often lost or misinterpreted digitally.
Not only does online communication cause misunderstandings, but it creates more mental and physical fatigue for workers. René Riedl at Johannes Kepler University in Austria said that “…after 50 minutes of videoconferencing, significant changes in physiological and subjective fatigue could be observed.”
Choosing the Right Space for You
Whether you’re working in a nook in your house or an office building, one thing remains true: a productive work environment allows for a productive worker. In 2025, the prominence of the digital world makes it easy to work remotely, but some people can’t adapt to that luxury. It’s important to reflect within yourself and decide what space will make you the most motivated and efficient.
