I Hate This Image of Remote Work

I know it is probably intended to be funny, like the Oatmeal’s, but I’ve seen it used on Twitter pejoratively (like most things on Twitter). It seems to be making fun of people who work from home.

The making fun comes from two angles:

The crazy remote worker

• Unwashed
• Uniform (is sweatpants)
• Same Shirt 3 days in a row
• Coworkers (are cats)

This view says that remote workers don’t do anything but watch Jerry Springer and grow hair; they act like they are unemployed. This myth is dangerous because it takes a bunch of things that do not matter to actual work and use them as weapons to paint the subject as a loser.

The incompetent remote worker

• Uniform is sweatpants (again)
• Starts working well past noon
• Forgot how to talk to humans

This is the traditional attack – remote workers are not effective.

What type of worker starts work in the afternoon? Most of the day is gone by then! Well, maybe. If you work to your energy then the time doesn’t matter does it?

If I could change this image I would add another little blurb: “Might have done more real work than you today”.

If you are looking for true advice from someone who understands the struggle of remote work and has actual useful advice, check out  Navigating Remote Work.