Concept in Definition ABC

The possibilities of teleworking that we have thanks to new technologies have allowed many professionals to make their home its own job, his office. It is what in English is called home office, a term that is also used in Spanish.

Continuing in the language of Shakespeare, home office has another meaning: the headquarters (home as home) of a company that has several headquarters, buildings or branches. In this sense, home office would mean the place where the highest management positions work, and where global decisions are made.

A third meaning that we will not deal with in this Article it's the British Home Office.

Home office consists of two words: home, which means "home", and office, which means office.

But make no mistake about concepts: a home office is not working in your pajamas on the sofa, that's something else. A Home Office is an office with all of the law, that is, a workspace in which clients can also receive visits. And, obviously, receiving someone in pajamas on the sofa at home is not the point ...

It is unknown when the term came into use in the Spanish language, and even in English. Although the practice of working at home has been able to be developed from centuries ago (many craftsmen worked where they lived, both in ancient Rome and at the time medieval, for example), teleworking has promoted this option in the last two decades.

Presumably, then, the use of the term home office in Spanish it dates from sometime between the eighties and nineties at the earliest, and the first years of the new millennium at the latest.

We must bear in mind that, for legal purposes, the home office may or may not have to be declared as a workplace.

Therefore, in those countries where the legislation obliges to declare such jobs, it will be necessary to take into account rules such as those that apply in the field of safety work, or the payment of taxes according to the fact that it is a work space.

Working at home also requires discipline: having certain comforts can distract us from our work goal.

For example, take a trip to the fridge, or watch TV. Although it is true that we must also take certain pauses, especially if we work in the computerSince so many hours sitting in the same posture and exercising the same movements, it is counterproductive for our health. We must take care of our health.

Fotolia photos: Imagination13 / BadBrother