Drat There goes the phone again.I am not answering it this time The person on the other end, I know who it is because she called twice already and I just know she is calling again despite the fact that Ive already told her, twice, that Ill call her back when Im free. The lady in question wants to chat, wants to share a juicy bit of gossip which doesnt interest me one little bit but that isnt the point. The point isdespite the age of 'the global village and all that goes with it, this friend, along with countless other people scattered around the world, completely refuses to accept that when someone opts to work from home, particularly if that someone is female, they are not taken seriously.no.not at all Women run companies from home and have done for quite a number of years, they also, thanks to the net, work as international secretaries leaping through time zones like theres no tomorrow, they design clothes, slave away as poorly paid journalists, bake the most delicious cakes, pies and bread, conjure up pickles, jams, preserves galore, create candles, paintings and other works of art but still people, particularly family and friends, refuse to accept that disturbing them during working hours is an unacceptable procedure and.there goes the phone again Switching off the cell phone, putting it on silent and unplugging the landline, arent viable options when home is the office and business may phone at any moment which, like or not, is yet another problem as business tends to phone just when youve sneaked off for a reviving shower or are making an illicit cheese sandwich or, if you are also a mother, then inevitably business calls, on the landline, at the exact moment you are rushing off to pick or drop and admitting this wouldnt sound professional. Husbands too are rarely cooperative about respecting their wives working hours and are liable to fume, fuss, even my goodness gracious me get suspicious if 'the wife is not available at the drop of a hat and yet, when the boot is on the other foot and 'the wife dares to interrupt her husband in his office environment, unless it really is a major emergency, he is not amused. Electing to work from home, sometimes this is actually the only way to juggle work and children as school hours never fit in with 'outside working hours, can actually be far more difficult than going out to work as interruptions are legion: The cook needs to know which vegetables to bring from the market, the driver has done a bunk with the car and the son of the house just phoned to say he needs picking up from school because hes thrown up the takeaway dinner he had with friends last night, the maid cant get the vacuum cleaner to work, the laundry guy needs to know if hubby will be angry that his favourite shirt went into the wash white and came out pink and the fish man needs you to come outside and make a selection et al. Trying to establish a working routine, as in perhaps 9am to 12noon, followed by 2pm to 5pm say five or six days a week may work out every once in a blue moon but not, unfortunately on a daily basis when, depending on the nature of the work involved, along with associated deadlines, the home working lady of the house can end up struggling to complete orders at midnight which, unless hubby is a movie addict who enjoys fast food and the children likewise, could very well lead to major marital problems and, if the scene of the crime happens to be in a joint family system thenwatch out as mother-in-law will definitely not understand that her sons wife has to, or wants to work. One hard working lady has a homework schedule which is bringing her, despite a very understanding and supportive husband, to her knees. Initially, she went out to work and was an extremely successfully secretary to the director of a foreign company. She then worked an ordinary 9am to 5pm day with her husband, who runs his own business, helping out with the children right down to cooking up their favourite food as miracles do, indeed, happen. They rumbled along quite satisfactorily until, that is, the foreign company departed these shores for home-base in the States and the director, loath to begin training a new secretary, retained the services of his Pakistani one who now works, at home, from 9pm to 5am snatching sleep when she can and still she is not taken seriously by anyone other than her husband, who accepts that they need the cash. Friends call her up mid-morning, throw tantrums when she refuses dinner and wedding invitations and relatives invite themselves to stay over in the city fully expecting to be waited on hand and foot and shown the sights from morning till night. For a man to work nights is acceptable if his job calls for it butfor a woman to do the same well.its taken for granted that she will manage with out any sleep at all Working from home, when it boils down to it, is twice as hard, if not more, than dressing up smartly and heading off to the office and those who disagree, there are many who consider home based work to be nothing more than a sham, should give it a go themselves n The writer is a Murree-based freelance columnist.