Telecommuting

Telecommuting

Telecommuting is a very interesting and complex subject. The pros and cons of this concept are numerous and both sides have excellent arguments. In the research I've done I feel I have to argue both sides to maintain a sense of perspective. I had mixed feelings about telecommuting before I started this research and I find that this is something many others have in common with me.

The reasons for and against telecommuting can be complex or simple depending on which view point you take. From a manager's view point telecommuting is a very dangerous undertaking that requires a high readiness level on the employee's part. Allowing an employee with a low (R1, or R2) readiness level to telecommute is not likely to result in a positive manner.

When an employee has a high readiness level and a definite desire to attempt working in the home, for some reason or another, many factors should be considered. What kind of schedule does the employee feel constitutes telecommuting? Generally speaking, telecommuting is defined as spending at least one day out of a five day work week working in the home. Is one day home enough for the employee? Or, too little? How does the employer decide how many days to allow? Does the employee's job lend itself well to telecommuting? Some jobs, obviously, can't be accomplished using a telecommuting format. Does the employee have a good track record for working unsupervised? This relates back to readiness levels. An employee who isn't performing at a high readiness level should not even be considered as a candidate for telecommuting. All of these questions and many more must be answered on a case by case basis.

This particular venture into creative scheduling has its ups and downs as well from an employee's point of view. It can be quite a bed of roses for both employee and employer. A lot of nice smells and pretty sights, but watch out for the thorns. In several studies I reviewed I noticed that the telecommuting population loses many of the basics of the social contacts associated with the office environment. Judging the correct amount of time that an employee should spend working at home in relation to working at the office can have a significant impact on both performance and satisfaction. It's usually hard for someone to completely cut themselves off from their work environment and still perform well. The sense of being out of touch with the others in the work force can be mitigated by the use of e-mail, teleconferencing, and the ever faithful

telephone.