Working from Anywhere (Part 2)

Last week in Part 1, we briefly talked about the increasing popularity of telecommuting and some important things to consider before making the decision to telecommute on a regular basis. Under the right circumstances, telecommuting can be a fantastic work arrangement. Now let's look at some of the advantages telecommuting can give to both the employee and the employer.

Flexibility

One of the greatest advantages of telecommuting is flexibility. Without the strict time constraints of a traditional office setting, an employee has more control over his or her schedule. Many remote work arrangements allow employees to work during their own peak hours of productivity (e.g. early morning).

Even though flexible scheduling is beneficial, there is a caveat. The technology we use to stay in touch can lead to a feeling of over-connectedness. For example, a telecommuter may feel obligated to answer his or her work phone at 9 pm just as he or she would feel at 9 am.

Work-Family Conflict

Any employee, telecommuter or not, may need to simultaneously fill the roles of employee and family-member. Conflicting demands from these two entities is called work-family conflict (WFC). If a child becomes ill or other personal needs must be fulfilled, flexible scheduling is helpful in reducing WFC.

Reduction in WFC is a positive aspect of telecommuting for employees as it eventually leads to reduced job stress, but it is important for telecommuters to keep boundaries between work and family. A flexible schedule allows for work activities to be scheduled around family activities to some extent, but these boundaries ensure that the schedule remains manageable.

Job Satisfaction

Telecommuters tend to be more satisfied with their jobs. Though research agrees that telecommuting is undeniably related to job satisfaction, which can be influenced by a number of variables, there are some conflicting opinions as to how they are related.

Telecommuting is positively related to job satisfaction when employees have high perceptions of job autonomy and low perceptions of WFC. On the other hand, telecommuting is negatively related to job satisfaction when employees feel that their professional development is suffering as a result of being away from the office.

Productivity

Under ideal conditions, telecommuters are highly productive. If a problem with a remote employee's productivity arises, consider the following:

• How long has the telecommuter been working remotely?
• New telecommuters often need several months to adjust to virtual work.
• Is telecommuting a good option for this employee?
• Not everyone is cut out for telework. The telecommuter's work habits play a large role in productivity.
• Does the remote employee have the proper technology for telecommuting?
• Without the right tools, productivity will undoubtedly suffer.
• Is the remote employee too isolated?
• Be sure to enable communication between the telecommuter and the organization.

Reduced Costs

At the end of the day, organizations want to know how telecommuting can save them money. Companies that allow employees to regularly work from home save in one or more of the following areas:

• Overhead costs
• Absenteeism
• Turnover
• Recruitment

Next Week

There are two sides to every story. Even with all of the advantages of working remotely, it is still important to understand that every situation is different and what works well for one employee or organization may not work well for another. What are some of the challenges associated with telecommuting? Find out in part 3.

References

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