Some people may think there is not enough advantage to the technology to offset the cost of the technology. But it did make me think about how telecommuting has advance and also made me think about the issues that the Human Resources department might have with advancing telecommuting. It is no secret that working out of the office, either on the road or working out of a home office (or the couch as it may be), has changed significantly. Initially it was keeping in touch via the telephone, then connecting through a modem to an office main frame, then through an Internet connection. Today with smart phones funtioning as computers and wi-fi being ubiquitous (connect while you are at McDonalds, Starbucks or even Waffle House) it is not hard to be continually connected.
There are many studies that show that telecommuting can be very advantageous to both the company and the employee. These advantages include:
- For the Employer:
- Higher productivity due to fewer interruptions
- Happier employees
- Reduced need for actual square footage
- Increased applicant pool since you don't need to be in the same city
- Greater capability to get the needed talent
- Reduced relocation costs
- For the Employee:
- Ability to concentrate
- No, or reduced time, in traffic
- Less wear and tear on a car, saving money
- Less money spent on gas
- Less money spent on lunches
- More time to spend with family, or exercising or whatever.
- For the employer:
- Need to have the appropriate technology in place to handle telecommuters
- Need to change methods of management. Productivity no longer equals physical presence
- Managers have to have ways of actively connecting with employees
- Potential liability for Workers Comp issues due to egronomically improper work postures
- Necessity of evaluating employees for ability to work at home (not everyone is well suited)
- Tracking time worked, which is important if the telecommuter is non-exempt
- Deciding which jobs are telecommuting appropriate
- Dealing with morale issues of those employees who are not telecommuting eligible
- For the employee:
- Lack of connectivity or social interaction with fellow workers
- Lack of connectivity (loyalty or identification) to the company
- Potential lack of direction
- Feeling of "out of sight, out of mind" may lead to being let go in down times
- Potentially being overworked, either voluntarily or involuntarily. Because you can always connect you find yourself working more.
- Staying connected to employees. We often hear of issues by being out of our offices and walking around. So how do you "walk around" with telecommuters?
- Staying connected with managers and supervisors.
- Dealing with differing capabilities of employees to deal with technology
- Being aware of "plaintiff" issues that may arise with improper pay, harassment by computer or email, claims of workers comp injuries, or unionization attempts.
- Balancing what kind of presence and how much presence is important in a workplace that is split between telecommuters and non-telecommuters.
4 comments:
I would have put the "Lack of conncectivity (loyalty or identification) to the company" in the employer disadvantage list instead of the employ disadvantage. It makes me think that my sense of company loyalty, at least in the traditional sense, is long gone. Am I alone, probably not. I find that telecommuting allows me to stay productive when I'm in conflict with leadership. I can focus on some key task, and not get reminded of the conflict through various forms of interruptions.
Nice post Mike.
Sad to say, less than 2% of U.S. employees work from home the majority of the time (not including the self-employed), but 40% hold jobs that are compatible with telework. If those employees who wanted to (about 80%) did so just half of the time (roughly the national average for those who do):
The Nation would:
- Save 289 million barrels of oil—equivalent to 37% of our Persian Gulf imports
- Reduce greenhouse gases by 53 million tons/year—27% of the President’s 2020 goal
- Reduce road travel by 115 billion miles/year saving $2 billion in road maintenance
- Reduce road congestion thereby increasing productivity for non-telecommuters as well
- Save 100,000 people from traffic-related injury or death
- Improve emergency responsiveness
- Reduce pollution from road work and new office construction
- Preserve open spaces
- Reduce the number of latchkey kids
- Alleviate the strain on our crumbling transportation infrastructure
- Reduce the offshoring of jobs and homeshore some that have already been lost
- Raise the standard of living in rural and disadvantaged areas
- Open new avenues for workforce retraining
- Reduce terrorism targets of opportunity
Businesses would:
- Increase productivity by over $235 billion
- Save $124 billion in real estate, electricity, and related costs
- Save $46 billion in absenteeism
- Save $31 billion in employee turnover
- Improve continuity of operations
- Avoid environmental sanctions, city access fees, etc.
- Improve work life balance and better address the needs of families, parents, and senior caregivers.
- Avoid the ‘brain drain’ effect of retiring boomers by allowing them to work flexibly
- Be able to recruit and retain the best people
- Better address the needs of disabled workers, rural residents, and military families
Individuals would:
- Achieve a better work-life balance
- Recoup 2-3 weeks of free time per year—time they’d have otherwise spent commuting
- Save $2,000-$7,000/year
- Save $15 billion at the pumps
- Suffer fewer illnesses
In total, that’s an economic impact of almost $650 billion a year!
More about telecommuting, the pros and cons, who's doing it, and other resources for companies, individuals and researchers are available at TeleworkResearchNetwork.com.
Great post Mike.
Sad to say, Less than 2% of U.S. employees work from home the majority of the time, but 40% hold jobs that are compatible with telework. If those employees who wanted to (about 80%) did so just half of the time (roughly the national average for those who do):
The Nation would:
- Save 289 million barrels of oil—equivalent to 37% of our Persian Gulf imports
- Reduce greenhouse gases by 53 million tons/year—27% of the President’s 2020 goal
- Reduce road travel by 115 billion miles/year saving $2 billion in road maintenance
- Reduce road congestion thereby increasing productivity for non-telecommuters as well
- Save 100,000 people from traffic-related injury or death
- Improve emergency responsiveness
- Reduce pollution from road work and new office construction
- Preserve open spaces
- Reduce the number of latchkey kids
- Alleviate the strain on our crumbling transportation infrastructure
- Reduce the offshoring of jobs and homeshore some that have already been lost
- Raise the standard of living in rural and disadvantaged areas
- Open new avenues for workforce retraining
- Reduce terrorism targets of opportunity
Businesses would:
- Increase productivity by over $235 billion
- Save $124 billion in real estate, electricity, and related costs
- Save $46 billion in absenteeism
- Save $31 billion in employee turnover
- Improve continuity of operations
- Avoid environmental sanctions, city access fees, etc.
- Improve work life balance and better address the needs of families, parents, and senior caregivers.
- Avoid the ‘brain drain’ effect of retiring boomers by allowing them to work flexibly
- Be able to recruit and retain the best people
- Better address the needs of disabled workers, rural residents, and military families
Individuals would:
- Achieve a better work-life balance
- Recoup 2-3 weeks of free time per year—time they’d have otherwise spent commuting
- Save $2,000-$7,000/year
- Save $15 billion at the pumps
- Suffer fewer illnesses
In total, that’s an economic impact of almost $650 billion a year!
Examples of telework success stories from a variety of jobs and work situations proves your article having no myths.
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