Tracey G.

I am a working Mum and for many years I had wanted to get out of the rat race. I had a very stressful job and on top of that, I had to travel 30 miles to work (each way), I was getting stuck in traffic, then I had the daily struggle to find a parking space, and then being hit with the winter weather (which invariably means that I am snowed in with no way out!), All of this was really getting me down. I wanted more time with my children, and to get a dog!
So I started to explore the idea of home working
I spent a good deal of time researching my options. I came across companies where you had to set yourself up as self-employed and/or pay for your own training. I found positions where hours werent guaranteed from one week to the next.
All this was at odds with what I knew that I wanted namely the security of working from home on a fully employed contract, with guaranteed contractual hours and holiday pay. Even more importantly, despite working from home, I wanted to feel part of an organisation, not be on my own - out on a limb.
So when I found a company that offered all this I couldnt believe it - I really did think that it was too good to be true. On that basis, I checked their website and looked into them on every forum going. To my amazement, I discovered that they had been operating in the UK for close to 12 years and employ 750 homeworkers to serve blue chip and innovative brands such as RAC, Aviva, PhotoBox, Eurostar and Home Retail Group to name but a few. I even looked at their registered office just to make sure it was real.
That was back in June 2013. I applied and was offered a HomeAgent role on a 30 hour per week contract providing customer service support to Home Retail Groups customers. Since the beginning, Ive loved it. I have the flexibility of choosing my own hours and breaks. I no longer have to pay £300 per month in fuel costs, or buy expensive coffee from high street coffee chains or extortionately priced sandwiches. I dont need to - I am a 30 second walk away from my fridge!
I confess that at the outset I was concerned about working in isolation... Would I be lonely? The answer is no. In fact, its quite the opposite - I have made some great new friends and we have an online chat room for instant support and social communication.
I have so much more time to do things. Take today for example, in my lunch break I managed to get the washing done, make a chicken stew, feed and walk the dog. All this means that when I finish work I can dedicate all my time to my children, instead of being stuck in traffic and then having to make tea and do chores. I may not be paid as much as I was in the rat race, but when I factor in travel costs, parking, subsistence and work outfits, I genuinely hardly notice the difference. Of course, I did have to buy some equipment to get going (desktop PC, telephone, headset and webcam), but I managed to acquire all these things for less than a couple of months commuting costs. In truth, I wish I had made this decision a very long time ago.