Is telecommuting the right move for you? Telecommuting is becoming widely used among several companies including the Federal Government. Why is it so attractive? Companies believe that telecommuting can actually save them millions of dollars.
Editor’s Note: Silvina Moschini is a specialized consultant in the areas of Technology, Internet Technology, Public Relations and Social Networking. She is also founder of the Social Media agency Intuic and co-founder of TransparentBusiness.com.
If people were more interested in it, they would actually spend far less on overhead cost used to house employees. In the previous years, President Obama signed clauses and passed laws that support telecommuting. Now, companies are encouraging employees even more to work from remote areas for at least three days.
Telecommuting has its benefits. Besides a significant curb on overhead expenses, it also helps employees with spending less on commuting cost. Whether they realize it or not, employees are also helping the economy. A decrease in vehicle use indicates a decline in gas consumption. Hence, a reduction in gas consumption will reduce the amount of pollutants in the environment.
Telecommuting also fosters an atmosphere of work-life balance. Employees can now enjoy the flexibility of spending additional time with their family members. They do not have to worry about extended travel time before and after work hours, which can be hectic in some areas.
In the Washington, DC metropolitan area, it may take an additional 45 minutes to reach your job and home from traveling through the busy streets and highways. If you’re commuting to Virginia from Maryland or DC, you can forget it. Expect to be in traffic for over an hour. With telecommuting, however, employees have the option to use that time to do something positive with their family members.
Technology has made it easy for companies and employees to interact from virtual locations. For example with the Internet, employees can partake in meetings and conferences via Web conferencing software. They can use databases via the company’s network and send emails over the Internet, as well.
Although there are plenty of benefits to telecommuting, there are also a few disadvantages. Companies fear that employees may not be as attentive as they are onsite. They lack trust and feel that employees may be participating in extracurricular activities, like talking on the phone or watching TV when they should be working.
Some employees may feel a sense of disconnection from the office. Thus, many supervisors must work a little harder to maintain good working relationships and ensure that all employees are included in inner office activities.
