Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
The Telecommumuting
Revolution
4imprint.com
Going Virtual:
lue Paper
The Telecommuting Revolution
What do more than half of Sun Microsystems’ employees have in common with
nearly 40 percent of IBM’s workers?
1 C
ooney, Michael. “Telecommute: Kill a career?” Network World. 17 Jan. 2007. 08 Dec. 2008
<http://www.networkworld.com/news/2007/011707-telecommute-career.html>.
2 T
ahmincioglu, Eve. “The quiet revolution: telecommuting.” MSNBC.com. 05 Oct. 2007. 08 Dec. 2008
<http://www.msnbc.com/id/20281475>.
3 K
oerner, Brendan. “Home Sweet Office: Telecommute Good for Business, Employees, and Planet.” WIRED. 22
Sept. 2008. 08 Dec. 2008 <http://www.wired.com/culture/cultureviews/magazine/16-10/st_essay>.
4 B
arrett, Amy. “Making Telecommuting Work.” BusinessWeek. 17 Oct. 2008. 08 Dec. 2008
<http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_70/s0810048750962.htm>.
© 2009 4imprint, Inc. All rights reserved
• Generation X and Y whose lifestyles aren’t accustomed
lue Paper
to the cubicle
• Disabled employees who may find public transportation or workplace
building accommodations difficult to manage 5
• Workers across the globe who need not be in-office to get the job done
• Baby Boomers craving flexibility as they grow older yet want to stay on
the job 6
In this Blue PaperSM, we’ll cover more teleworking benefits and delve into the how-tos
from both the employer and the employee angles. First, we’ll start with the employer
side – because, employees can’t telecommute if their employers aren’t on board!
A basic telecommuting policy begins with the reasoning behind why the organization
is considering adopting telecommuting. Here, goals and purposes should be outlined,
followed by a punch-list of any necessary to-dos before any policy can even be
implemented. Then, the policy itself should be rooted in the following elements
(expand upon if needed for your organization’s size or scope of business):
• Technology – What types of tech tools will staff members
need to stay connected off-site? Also, you may want to
consider who will cover what costs. Most companies will
pick up the costs of Internet access, a phone line and
teleconferencing equipment if an employee teleworks
three or more days per week. 7 We’ll go into deeper details
about tech tools later on.
5 T ahmincioglu, Eve. “The quiet revolution: telecommuting.” MSNBC.com. 05 Oct. 2007. 08 Dec. 2008
<http://www.msnbc.com/id/20281475>.
6 Tahmincioglu, Eve. “The quiet revolution: telecommuting.” MSNBC.com. 05 Oct. 2007. 08 Dec. 2008
<http://www.msnbc.com/id/20281475>.
7 Barrett, Amy. “Making Telecommuting Work.” BusinessWeek. 17 Oct. 2008. 08 Dec. 2008
<http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_70/s0810048750962.htm>.
© 2009 4imprint, Inc. All rights reserved
• Feasibility – Think about what positions lend well to teleworking, and
lue Paper
how your organization will function in a part- or full-time teleworking
environment. What employees will be allowed to apply for telecommuting
status, and under what terms? According to the International Telework
Association, two days per week is the U.S. average among teleworkers. 8
In addition, jobs that don’t absolutely require face time or involve longer
periods of concentration will yield well to a telecommuter work style. 9
Once you’ve considered the “big five” above, we’d recommend a trial run. That’s exactly
what the City of Portland did when it began its program over ten years ago. For six
8 H
ansen, Katharine. “Making Your Case for Telecommuting: How to Convince the Boss.” Quintessential Careers. 2004. 8
Dec. 2008 <http://www.quintcareers.com/printable/telecommuting_options.html>.
9 B
arrett, Amy. “Making Telecommuting Work.” BusinessWeek. 17 Oct. 2008. 08 Dec. 2008
<http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_70/s0810048750962.htm>.
10 Caldwell, Kelley. “Create a Telecommuting Strategy.” Monster.com: Career Advice. 08 Dec. 2008
<http://career-advice.monster.com/management-skills/human-resources/management/>.
11 Enbysk, Monte. “Make telecommuting work for your business.” Microsoft: Small Business. 08 Dec. 2008
<http://www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness/resources/management/pay-benefits/make-telecommuting-work-for-your-
business.aspx>.
lue Paper
Happier employees, increased morale and a permanent telecommuting policy for
all city staff. 12
Here, we’ve outlined some of the best technology elements to infuse into any
teleworker’s at-home office. But, don’t take this list as the end-all, be-all of necessary
tech tools – your organization’s telecommuting technology should match your needs
and company culture first and foremost.
12 O
regon Department of Energy. “City of Portland Gives Telecommuting a Thumbs Up Following a Six-Month Test.”
Oregon Government, Department of Energy. June 1996. <http://www.oregon.gov/ENERGY/TRANS/Telework/docs/
telepdx.pdf>
13 G
oldberg, Gabe. “Tech That Makes Telecommuting Work.” The Washington Post. 01 June 2008. 08 Dec. 2008
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/31/>.
lue Paper
employees to take phone calls from clients by providing a single phone
number that “finds” them anywhere. Employees simply plug their phone
line into the router to receive calls. 14
• USB desktops – This relatively new technology allows for users to transfer
full applications such as word processing or Web browsing onto a USB
drive for use at any location. 15 This is a great option for employees who
may be working on multiple computers virtually.
14 B arrett, Amy. “Making Telecommuting Work.” BusinessWeek. 17 Oct. 2008. 08 Dec. 2008
<http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_70/s0810048750962.htm>.
15 Goldberg, Gabe. “Tech That Makes Telecommuting Work.” The Washington Post. 01 June 2008. 08 Dec. 2008
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/31/>.
16 Messmer, Ellen. “Telecommuting Poses Security, Privacy Risks.” PC World. 31 July 2008. Network World. 08 Dec. 2008
<http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/149200-1>.
lue Paper
strategy, and how to diffuse them before they become a real security issue:
This is more common than you might expect. According to a recent cross-industry
telecommuting risk report, only half of the 73 surveyed organizations have even
developed a telecommuting security policy as guidance to their out-of-office workers. 17
We recommend that your policy includes information and implementation tactics
surrounding:
Common error 2: Blurring the lines between personal and work devices.
Again, almost half of all companies surveyed said that their teleworkers (both part- and
full-time) use their personally-owned computers, PDAs or other tools for work purposes. 19
This can pose serious security risks when confidential data is passed between unsecure
devices. Outline specifically in your teleworking guidelines how the use of personal devices
is to be handled. We recommend keeping them separate – it’s the safest way to ensure
data security and privacy.
This goes for both in- and out-of-office employees. If you’re backing up your company
data for in-office employees, make sure the same is happening with virtual workers. This
17-20 Messmer, Ellen. “Telecommuting Poses Security, Privacy Risks.” PC World. 31 July 2008. Network World. 08 Dec. 2008
<http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/149200-1>.
lue Paper
We recommend backing up through a third-party at a remote location, outside of your
organization, to lend to heightened security and safety.
One of your first thoughts when considering teleworking may be, “Does my job lend
well to the teleworking routine?” Most of the time, we’ve found that the answer
is “Yes.” Sometimes, all it takes is a little out-of-the-box thinking. For
example, take Hyatt™ Regency Santa Clara concierge Anna Mariano-Morris.
Yes, you read that correctly – the hotel’s main concierge actually works
virtually!
As you can see from this example, nearly any job can be a telecommuting position.
Employees simply need to assess what portions (if not all) of their position can be
performed remotely to the same caliber (or better) as in-office.
With that in mind, it’s time to approach upper management with your request.
If no such existing program turns up, your next stop should be the employee handbook
or your contract. Make sure there are no policies against telecommuting. In these
21 T
ahmincioglu, Eve. “The quiet revolution: telecommuting.” MSNBC.com. 05 Oct. 2007. 08 Dec. 2008
<http://www.msnbc.com/id/20281475>.
© 2009 4imprint, Inc. All rights reserved
documents, you may also be able to find policies regarding flextime or similar options –
lue Paper
these are often times good signs that your company may be open to telecommuting.
Now, on to competitor research. Try looking into your organization’s competitors to see
if they offer any telecommuting options to employees. Also, find out if it’s a popular
option in your industry or in your geographic area. If you find any “yeses” here, add
them to your persuasion arsenal.
Finally, take a good hard look at yourself. Katharine Hansen, Ph.D., creative director and
associate publisher of Quintessential Careers, recommends taking a personal inventory
before addressing your superiors to gauge whether you’re the kind of employee who
will thrive in a telecommuting environment. If you can confidently identify with the
following traits, you’re probably a prime candidate 22:
• Self-disciplined
• Self-starter
• Independent performer
• Proven performer
• Organized
• Good time manager
• Sweep in on two fronts: Rather than simply telling your boss why you
should be allowed to telecommute, write it down, too. Experts agree that
a comprehensive, balanced, written proposal paired with a strong oral
presentation is the best bet for success. 23
• It’s all about them: Although you may think that the option to
telecommute ultimately relates to your wants and needs, make sure
that your employer understands what’s in it for him or her. Focus on the
benefits the company will receive from you telecommuting, not your
22 H
ansen, Katharine. “Making Your Case for Telecommuting: How to Convince the Boss.” Quintessential Careers. 2004.
8 Dec. 2008 <http://www.quintcareers.com/printable/telecommuting_options.html>.
23 H
ansen, Katharine. “Making Your Case for Telecommuting: How to Convince the Boss.” Quintessential Careers. 2004.
8 Dec. 2008 <http://www.quintcareers.com/printable/telecommuting_options.html>.
lue Paper
such as greater productivity and task efficiency due to less time spent
commuting or being interrupted by coworkers.
In the end, the telecommuting choice for employees and employers alike rests on
“fit” – fit within an organization, and a personal fit. Some company cultures easily lend
to the idea of teleworkers, while others may not. On a similar note, some teleworkers’
personal traits may lend well to working virtually, while others are better suited for an
office environment.
But, the point is, you never know until you try! Consider teleworking a viable option to
flextime today, and you may be surprised at how easy the transition is, as well as how
many benefits there truly are to be reaped.