Travails of the home worker

Anyone who works from home or is a stay-at-home parent knows the drill—because you’re home, others think you’re obviously available to run their errand, pick up their kid or handle other chores.

The Wall Street Journal has turned out a nice story about the issue, saying growing numbers of Americans, now roughly 35 million, work at least partly from home. And they’re finding that others think of them differently, as “doormats,” as one woman put it.

Some at-homers are venting their spleens online, others are just saying no, and still others are starting to charge.

It isn’t as if people at home don’t want to help. Many do. But they feel used by people who leave home to do their jobs.

If you work at home, how are you handling requests? If you “go to work,” are you guilty of asking too many favors?

What about perceptions of home workers? Are their endeavors considered as less important?