When I decided to move back to Canada in 2000 and told my boss, he looked at my long face -- I loved my job -- and said: "What? You're not quitting, are you?"
I was confused. Quitting was the last thing I wanted to do, but I didn't see another option given my move. Somehow, my boss did though and I began telecommuting, not just from an hour-drive away, but from across the Atlantic and with a seven-hour time difference too. I even continued manage my team in my capacity as a product manager.
Well, I never set foot in an office again! I can also say that I've been late to work once in all these years and have taken no sick days.
People always ask me how I manage it, how I can make myself go to my office, sit at my desk and work. They would goof off, they say. I seriously doubt they would do that, but can't really prove it to them, can I? And from reading this article, it seems that many companies that are now allowing more employees to telecommute so they could save money on gas indeed are concerned about loafing.
Many other sources, however, claim that telecommuting actually increases productivity, with figures varying from 10% to much higher in productivity gains. Come on, we all know that it's not that hard to slack off at the office too, not to mention the million other interruptions an office presents. Is it at all surprising then that telecommuting results in higher morale and job satisfaction and lower employee stress and turnover? Wouldn't all these contribute to higher productivity?
Now, add to the productivity gains savings from lower gas consumption, not to mention the environmental ramifications of less traffic, and telecommuting sounds like a winner.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-23-2008 @ 10:54PM
Kyle Parker said...
Hi Melly,
Thank you for this posting. I see a lot of changes happening in Telecommunications as a result of increased oil costs, Human Resource challenges and a management team's desire to overcome the geographic boundaries that separate members of their team. I work in Canada to help businesses that need fiber-optic leased infrastructure and typically I help customers that have a Virtual Private Network/email server/Wide Area Network and want a syncronous access for their data. Telecommunications is now able to support the needs for a changing business environment. We need employers to realize this and create positive change in our society. Our under-employment of rural communities within North America is a great example of how we can tap into a labor pool that will re-ignite the economic powerhouse of Canada and America's strong work ethic. We need innovative work models to catch up with the telecommunication infrastructure that is available today.