How much is being able to work from home 100% worth?

[Anonymous]

Background:
- One elementary child that will need to go to aftercare if I don't work from home. I am a single mom. Ex's no help. Ex in-laws can help in summer.
- Can probably get 15k to 20k more if switch to another job.
- I am resentful about being underpaid. I have the figures and folks who got laid off and/or fired by company was being paid way more.
- Did try to negotiate but was basically told to shove it.

I know I have a pretty good setup at least until my child is older. I am just so angry and resentful. WWYD?

[Anonymous]

This is a personal question, because so much of working from home is intangible. What would your commute be? Do you like working from home? What number would make it worthwhile to you (based on your own finances) to work in an office? Would $15k make you switch? $30k? Do you like your job? Not to dodge your question, but I don't think anyone else can answer this for you.

PS -- I'm sorry you are underpaid. Working from home is NOT an excuse to underpay anyone, unless you are goofing off while you are supposed to be working.

PPS -- If you do wind up staying with your job, try to let go of the anger. It's not healthy to hold on it. (Easier said than done, I know.)

[Anonymous]

Any chance your initials are KGE? If so I completely understand and I won't from WAH to back in an office and it worked out fine and was worth it.

[Anonymous]

How do you WAH with your child around after school? Aren't you still working, hence your child would still be in aftercare?

[Anonymous]

Not if all the work gets done while the child is in school. When I WAH I would have been able to be done by the time my kids got home from school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do you WAH with your child around after school? Aren't you still working, hence your child would still be in aftercare?

She could pick up child or have child dropped home. With elem kid, there isn't sooo much to do, so the kid could be doing hw, watching a show, playing, etc while she finishes up with work.

[Anonymous]

Your question is a little confusing. You work from home now but are thinking about a change because you are underpaid?

I can't answer much of your question but it seems like your $15-$20k bump would probably cover aftercare, right?

Just factor in commute time and hassle...

But one thing that jumped out at me was your anger over people making way more - who were laid off or fired. Is your company is not doing well? They needed to get some big salaries off the payroll and being underpaid actually saved your job?

[Anonymous]

I have worked at home twice, including now, and really like it. At the moment I have huge flexibility to pick up my kids, and attend kid events, run errands during the day, etc. (I work for myself so can basically do what I want). Saving commute time was huge, and one of the reasons I changed jobs. The downside is that you can't get away from work, and depending on the job there can be less human interaction. I am out with clients a lot so am fine with the times I am home alone. Not sure what it is worth dollar wise but it is worth a lot to me in terms of personal well being, and being available for my kids.

[Anonymous]

OP here. The commute will depend on the job. I imagine it will probably be 1 to 1.5 hour a day, including drop off and pick up.

I love working from home. I am just so resentful because I am a great performer. In fact, I am supposed to teach/mentor the much higher paying employees, which just makes me mad.

No, not KGE.

My kid is not old enough to stay home alone, but old enough to know not to bother me when I work.

[Anonymous]

You're complaining about your salary when there have been lay-offs? Isn't part of you glad you haven't lost your job? Especially when you have a work from home arrangement?

As to what it is worth: Add up the cost of commuting and after care. And bolstering your professional wardrobe. Make up, etc, any "looking good" you spend less one since you're not at the office. And what that extra amount of time you don't spend commuting is worth too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At the moment I have huge flexibility to pick up my kids, and attend kid events, run errands during the day, etc.

OP here. Yes, the flexibility is the only thing keeping me here at this point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
But one thing that jumped out at me was your anger over people making way more - who were laid off or fired. Is your company is not doing well? They needed to get some big salaries off the payroll and being underpaid actually saved your job?

OP here. No, I don't think that's the reason. I pointed out fired/laid off because I only know about those people's salary. We are not allowed to share this information. However, once they left they were free to share with us.

[Anonymous]

Have you tried negotiating a higher salary with your current employer? I get so frustrated with people who get pissy about not making as much as another person and yet they do nothing to try and increase their own salary. YOu have no one to be angry with but yourself, OP, for not being a louder advocate for yourself. No one else will do it for you.

[Anonymous]

It's also possible that the company laid off those who were drawing the highest salaries, so the current average salary might be more in line with what you make.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
But one thing that jumped out at me was your anger over people making way more - who were laid off or fired. Is your company is not doing well? They needed to get some big salaries off the payroll and being underpaid actually saved your job?

OP here. No, I don't think that's the reason. I pointed out fired/laid off because I only know about those people's salary. We are not allowed to share this information. However, once they left they were free to share with us.

I wouldn't gauge things based on this, especially for people who were laid off. All things being equal, the employer will always lay off a person with a higher salary/comp.