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| TELECOMMUTING: DREAM COME TRUE? November 14, 1997 |
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Questions asked
in this forum:What is the best way to convince employers to try telecommuting? What are the risks involved with telecommuting? Does the U.S. lead the way, or are other countries implementing successful telecommuting systems? Are there any tax deductions that encourage telecommuting? What is the accountability process for telecommutiers to show their work?
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OUTSIDE LINKS
Dr. Michelle Weil's bio and information about how to reduce technostress.
Jaclin Robinson of Tacoma/Seattle, WA I am starting a new job with Boeing on Friday. I will be a contracted employee making $20.00 per hour with no benefits. I am a very reclusive person and would very much enjoy working at home if I had the possibility of making the wages I will be making at Boeing. I will be in an administrative position and have a lot of computer skills and many years of experience. Do you have a list of companies that I could contact in regard to working from my home? Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. I already have the extra telephone line, fax machine, computer and MS Office Suite. Also, my children are grown and recently out of the home. I have no distractions to speak of.
Laura Warman of Seba Beach, Alberta CANADA
My husband works from home at times and it is great! No driving on icy roads, no driving period! We have 4 children, aged 8,4, and 3-year-old twins but it doesn't get in the way of his work. He is a software engineer, and finds that he is actually more productive on his days at home than when he goes into the office. I like it as well, as he is home for lunch and dinner. With modern communication technology, you never have to be out of touch. Think how much we could reduce 'greenhouse gases' if more people did this even one day a week. If your boss needs to have you physically present to know if you are doing your job, he is not doing his properly.
Bobby Meadows III of Columbus, Georgia
Well, I have a vague understanding of 'telecommuting," but I hear it may become the wave of our future. Amazing! My question, however, is: What will the new qualifications mandate? Or will there be new qualifications? Normally, one must go through the process of an interview so the employer can see the prospective employee up close and personal. Now, there seems to be little reason for one. Can you explain to me the new qualifications, if any?
Shanara Schmidt of Barnhart Missouri
I have a brand new Packard Bell pentium MMX, 200 MHZ with 5.1 GIG of hard disk space, and 56 KBPS modem. I also have a new Epson color printer and a color scanner. In addition I have a lot of updated software installed. I have over 20 years of data entry computer experience and my question to you is, how does one with my hard ware and soft ware seek employement that allows me to work at home?
I have been in management for many years and have always wanted to use my computer at home for employement. Your article is very good, however it does not provide information as to how one might seek out and aquire employement in this area of the work world.
Thank you for providing this article as I personally have been searching out any and all information relating to commputing at home and your article adds to my archives.
Don Chen of Washington, D.C.
Telecommuting is perhaps the most visible contribution that the booming telecommunications industry has made to our transportation system. But just as commuting for work only constitutes 18% of total trips in America, telecommuting is just one way telecommunications is changing our access and mobility choices. Consumer spending over the Internet this year will top $1 billion. This more than doubles last year's total, and the figure is expected to grow to well over $6 billion by 2000. Before long, we should expect to see telecommunications access substitute increasingly for other transportation-intensive activities, such as trips to the library, school, appointments, and even recreational outings. While most people know about these developments, few have considered the transformative effect that telecommuting will have on the ways in which we work, shop, play, and have fun. Before we realize it, telecommunications may have the magnitude of influence that the automobile had on community design, leisure time, and commerce.
Jay G. Henry of Clarkston Washington
I work from home on a regular basis; I work in insurance sales and am the vice president of a rather large agency-- My position has given me the freedom to experiment with working from home and I feel that my quality of life has increased. I no longer have to make idle chit chat with people at the office, I have more time to just 'be' to be creative, to work non-stop or take a break.
I really feel sorry for people who have difficulty working alone or feel that they have to work in an office environment, I mean, are these people relying on the office for their social interaction? I have so much contact with people on a daily basis that I welcome the mornings that I go into the office by turning on my computer.
Think about life 100 years ago; were people interacting with others as much as they are today? No. Talk about technology overload, how about social overload; we have so many people demanding so much from us all the time these days, it's really nice to be able to sit down and really get something done.
Kristy Nyp of Russell, Kansas; moving to Lincoln, NE
The telecommuting situation I am arranging will allow me to continue my current job as a department head in advertising and promotions when I relocate due to my husband's new job. From the standpoints of technology and administration my supervisor and I have the details of telecommuting ironed out, and I believe he is totally supportive of the idea. However, there are a couple of my peers who are generally not supportive of changes and I fear that they will purposely make it difficult for me to work with their departments. How should telecommuters deal with "jealous" co-workers who sabotage their efforts? And, as the first telecommuter in my company, how can I encourage support of this new concept so that other employees may enjoy the same option? Especially in a rural area where educated, skilled workers are hard to find, telecommuting could be an answer to filling vacancies with qualified employees, if we can modify conventional thinking to accept this practice.
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