Why do we say "work from home" in English?

Why is "telecommuting" called "work from home" in English?

It sounds like the title of a book that is trying to be a hit, doesn't it?

We asked an employee from the U.S. to explain why it is "work from home" instead of "work at home.

I think both are OK when used to mean "work at home," but considering the current world situation, the way you work will determine whether you use "work from home" or "work at home.

Point!
Use "from" and "at" depending on where you are working around.

For example, if a person who normally comes to the office to work at his/her place of work temporarily works at home, he/she would say "work from home".

The reason is that even if many employees work from home, the center of their work is still the company, restaurant, or store where they normally gather to work.

In some cases, "work from home" is also appropriate for freelancers who work from home. When delivering completed data or materials to a company or client, for example, a translator working at home, "from" is more appropriate because the deliverables are mainly located at the company or client rather than at home.

Then, in what cases is "work at home" used?

If you are working mainly from home, such as when you are doing some kind of business or work at home, such as in a home-cum-store, "at" is a more natural expression.

When speaking foreign languages, not only English, we tend to think in the Japanese sense, don't we?
I hope you can get a sense of the way native speakers speak English, even from the use of a single preposition like this one.

In the next issue, we will continue to introduce English expressions that can be used in work-related situations!
Enjoy!