absent. But it can be done.
6.2 For employees
Not all employees are anxious to telecommute. In fact, employees harbor a number of fears about telecommuting. As a manager it is important that you understand some of these concerns and that you’re able to directly and candidly discuss them with staff members. There are disadvantages to telecommuting and, for some employees, these disadvantages can be insurmountable.
Isolation. One of the real benefits of working at the office is the social interaction with other people. While any telecommuter should have ample opportunity for communication with the head office — through email, phone, video conference, and in-person meetings — the fact remains that a lot of time will be spent alone. While some employees may thrive in this type of environment, others may find the isolation difficult to deal with.
Home distractions. People working from their homes often have difficulty creating an appropriate boundary between home and work. Friends, family, and neighbors may perceive that the at-home employee is more receptive to drop-in visits, phone calls, and other interruptions.
Telecommuters whose arrangements allow them to work with their children present have other distractions. And, of course, there are the distractions that telecommuters create for themselves: the temptations of nice, sunny days; the lure of the television; the unrelenting desire to throw in a load of laundry.
Workaholism. The difficulty of drawing a distinction between home and work may create a problem of over-dedication to the job. Telecommuters are often tempted to work longer hours and can find it difficult to create appropriate boundaries between work responsibilities and personal needs. When the office is always just steps away, the lure of completing a project, checking email, or doing just one more thing can be strong.
Limited access to copiers, fax, and other office services. While you will want to consider carefully each telecommuter’s needs in terms of work equipment and tools, depending on the employee and his or her job, you may not be able to justify providing every piece of office equipment available for the home office. An employee may need to rely on administrative assistance at the head office or plan occasional trips into the office to take care of routine tasks.
Invisibility — a career killer? Employees may be hesitant to pursue telecommuting because they have come to view it as a career killer. They fear that if they aren’t continually involved, they will be overlooked for key projects, assignments, and promotions. This is a very real concern. However, a 1997 survey of telecommuters showed that 63 percent felt that teleworking had been a positive influence on their careers, and only 3 percent reported any negative impact.
Typically, it is the most independent and self-motivated individuals who are good candidates for telecommuting — the same traits that characterize upwardly mobile employees in general. As a manager, one of your key responsibilities is employee development. Telecommuters, as part of the staff, need to be part of this process.
7. The Benefits and Rewards
There are certainly potential barriers to making telecommuting work and there are some disadvantages for both employees and employers. There are also, however, a number of very definite advantages; there are good reasons why so many individuals and companies are turning to telecommuting as a work option.
SHRM’s “2008 Employee Job Satisfaction” report indicated that 46 percent of employees cited the flexibility to balance work/life issues as a very important aspect of job satisfaction. Many companies currently offer nontraditional scheduling options to employees to help them balance their work and personal lives. In fact, 54 percent of the HR professionals responding to the survey indicated that their organizations offered flextime, allowing employees to select their work hours within limits established by the employer. In addition to flextime, 51 percent indicated that their organizations offered some form of telecommuting: 45 percent on an ad-hoc basis, 34 percent on a part-time basis and 19 percent on a full-time basis. Clearly both employers and employees are seeing benefits and rewards associated with telecommuting and other flextime options.
7.1 For employers
Improved productivity. While there are some who question the productivity gains espoused by companies that offer telecommuting options to employees, most will claim a positive impact. The Gartner Group has estimated productivity improvements from 10 percent to 40 percent. Nortel, with more than 4,000 telecommuters, reports productivity improvements of 24 percent since 1995 — with an associated 10 percent increase in job satisfaction and reduced turnover risk of 24 percent.
Reduced sick time. Employers find that telecommuters have fewer sick days — an average of one to two days a year. It makes sense. There are times when a cold may make the thought of spending the day at the office seem like torture, but you might be perfectly able to function at home.
Reduction in office space costs. IBM has reported $75 million in annual savings on real estate expenses because of their telecommuting program. AT&T estimates that its implementation of teleworking results in an average savings of $25 million per year.
Environmental concerns. While the US Clean Air Act was changed in 1995 and no longer makes reductions in car-commuter trips mandatory, and further environmental laws may be forthcoming, environmentally aware employers know that telecommuting can have a positive impact on traffic congestion and, ultimately, emissions.
Weather and other traffic-related concerns. In Atlanta, companies began implementing telecommuting during the summer Olympics of 1996 when traffic, related not only to the event but also to event preparation, created difficulties for commuters. In northern climates, telecommuting means that snow days are a thing of the past. When you have only to commute on foot from one room to another in your house, bad weather is no longer a barrier.
Broader talent pool. The labor pool has experienced some significant fluctuations over the past few years. It is sometimes difficult to find skilled, qualified, and motivated employees. Telecommuting (and the technology that goes with it) makes it possible to bypass the boundaries of geography. For employers, that means the ability to select from a much broader pool of talent. It also means that barriers are removed when, for instance, a merger means that corporate headquarters moves to a new location and a number of highly skilled employees, unable or unwilling to relocate, now have the option of continuing to work for the company, but from their homes.
Enhanced opportunities for disabled individuals. Telecommuting provides a workable and effective way to accommodate employees with various health problems and disabilities that might otherwise keep them out of the labor market. Far beyond complying with legal regulations, the option of telecommuting can allow employers to provide highly qualified but disabled employees with the opportunity to contribute their talents toward meaningful endeavors.
Improved attractiveness of company to job candidates. Employees are, more than ever, giving their personal lives precedence over their professional lives. To many, the ability to work in a flexible environment is very attractive. Even those employees who are not interested in telecommuting may perceive a company that offers the option as being progressive and concerned with meeting the needs of its employees.
Move toward management by results. All managers should manage like managers of telecommuters. By focusing on results, managers can let go of outmoded ideas of employee surveillance or concern about the number of hours that an employee puts in. What matters are the outcomes. Today’s successful managers work collaboratively with their employees, recognizing that the measurement of performance depends more on quantitative results than subjective
