Lindsey Hickman
Ashford University
ENG 315 Business & Professional Writing Instructor: Bruce Hunter
July 22, 2014
The telecommuting workforce has grown more than eighty-percent since 2005 (American Community Survey Data, 2012), with 2.6 percent of the United States workforce working from home at least fifty-percent of the time. This includes federal employees, private non-profit employers and employees, for-profit employer and employees, state government workers, local government workers, as well as those who are self-employed. In fact, teleworking even saw an increase in employees when the economy was hit with its largest unemployment numbers in 2011 (American Community Survey Data, 2012). With extreme cost saving advantages including fewer sick days, gas, vehicle maintenance, and meal expenses alongside, the flexibility and comfort, it is easy to see why employers and employees are happy to work from home. However, there are some affects of teleworking that are often overlooked and now that you are becoming a work-at-home employee, there are considerations to be aware of. Potential psychological impacts, workplace culture challenges, and symptoms that can lead to burn out should be reviewed prior to your start date in order to meet challenges head on. This report will detail the pros and cons of working from a home office, highlighting the importance of goal setting in order to obtain work-life balance from your new home office.
Telecommuting Advantages
Telecommuting offers the best of both worlds for both the employer and employee in many cases. While earning a professional income with the flexibility of working from the couch, the bed, and even in your underwear sounds quite attractive, there are real cost saving benefits to teleworking. Studies suggest that the average employee saves at least $2,000 up to $6,800 annually, as well as, about two weeks worth of driving per year (Greenbiz, 2010). This translates to decreased gas consumption, parking fees, professional clothing, eating out and impulsive lunch hour shopping purchases. Plus, the a collective gas savings nationally would add up to $15 billion in the U.S., resulting in greenhouse gas emission reductions of 53 million metric tons if the 50 percent of the 64 million U.S employees work at least part-time telework (Greenbiz, 2010). Additionally, the average teleworker will earn an extra two-to-three weeks worth of time traditionally spent driving to and from work. Additionally, some can take advantage of cuts in after-school and eldercare costs, as well as, tax breaks for home office and equipments.While money is a large driver when choosing to telecommute, employee satisfaction is a contributor as well. A research study conducted by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee found that the majority of telecommuting employees are much more satisfied with their jobs, when compared to those who do most of their work in the office because working remotely alleviates more stress than it creates (Bradley, 2011). Working from home shields the employee from a bulk of office distractions, and stressful aspects of the workplace, such as office politics, interruptions, constant meetings and information overload (Bradley, 2011).
As for the organization, money saving is the top reason to employ teleworkers. Studies estimate businesses lose $600 billion a year in workplace distractions (Global Workplace, 2014); drastic increases in work production have been reported by companies including IBM, American Express, At&t, and Best Buy following implementations of telecommuting options (Global Workplace, 2014). Costly employee turnover, relocation fees, ADA compliance, and real estate development are all reduced; offices can be much smaller, reducing furniture needs and electrical usage.
Sick and unexpected leave usage is proven to be dramatically effected when employing teleworkers. Studies show that seventy-eight percent of employee sick calls are not truly ill, but are often due to family issues, sick children, personal needs, and stress. Unscheduled absences cost employers approximately $1,800 per employee, per year adding up to up to $300 billion per year for U.S. companies (Global Workplace, 2014). Teleworkers are able to work more comfortably from home if they are sick, without subjecting others to their germs, while the flexible hours allow teleworkers to run errands or schedule appointments without losing a full day (Global Workplace, 2014).
In general, telecommuters are likely to experience increased feelings of freedom and discretion because they are spatially and psychologically removed from direct, face-to-face supervision (Harrison, 2007).
the same token, because it is always there, some workers find a challenge in motivation to “get to work” because it is always there.
Telecommuting can potentially degrade the quality of the manager–subordinate relationships; it takes a strong manager to manage teleworkers. Supervisors who are not familiar with managing virtually, this many require new outlooks on management and communication styles. Working from home also poses difficulty for recognizing work performance, stunting employee promotions. It is difficult to prove management skills when telecommuting, therefore stunting employee growth, recognition of their efforts, and often blocking promotions or performance reviews. Some telecommuters do not get clear performance goals because their managers consider employees who are often in the office to be harder workers (Welte, 2014).
In general, telecommuters are likely to experience increased feelings of freedom and discretion because they are spatially and psychologically removed from direct, face-to-face supervision (Harrison, 2007).
Disadvantages of Telecommuting
Managing workloads tends to be the biggest challenge for the teleworker. Because telecommuters do not shut down, and walk out of the office leaving it completely behind, he/she is more likely to overwork because it is always there. Onthe same token, because it is always there, some workers find a challenge in motivation to “get to work” because it is always there.
Telecommuting can potentially degrade the quality of the manager–subordinate relationships; it takes a strong manager to manage teleworkers. Supervisors who are not familiar with managing virtually, this many require new outlooks on management and communication styles. Working from home also poses difficulty for recognizing work performance, stunting employee promotions. It is difficult to prove management skills when telecommuting, therefore stunting employee growth, recognition of their efforts, and often blocking promotions or performance reviews. Some telecommuters do not get clear performance goals because their managers consider employees who are often in the office to be harder workers (Welte, 2014).
Decreased workplace culture is not the only probable issue with communication between employees. Telecommuting can create sub-culture groups of teleworkers and non-teleworkers, creating a negative divide. Research by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Lally School of Management and Technology revealed that in many cases, non-telecommuters felt less satisfied with their jobs and were likely to quit when their job depended on collaborating with a telecommuting employee (Welte, 2014). Studies also showed that non-telecommuters had weak working relationships with telecommuters, which hindered the overall company productivity (Welte, 2014).
Face-to-face communication is invaluable to teleworkers. Virtual teams must battle the challenge of lack of workplace culture as opposed to the traditional intercultural issues that pose communication conflict in a traditional workplace setting. Face-to-face communication provides the most information, as it includes non-verbal communication cues such as facial expressions in addition to verbal content. Virtual teams rely on technologies such as telephones, email, collaboration sites and web conferencing tools. These technologies, while powerful, generally can’t provide as much non-verbal content (Mantrone, 2013).
Telecommuting is likely to effect your psychological mediators, resulting in the potential for stress, and challenges in job satisfaction, work-family conflict, and work relationship qualities (Harrison, 2007). It is easy for teleworkers to feel as though they have to work all the time; since you won’t be walking out of your office and shutting completely down, you may experience feelings of less freedom on occasion. Finally, telecommuting can be isolating; loneliness and depression can challenge the home worker. Watch out for feelings of resentment, wistfulness, increased stress and irritability levels, decreases in motivation and sleeping, or feeling overwhelmed.
Solutions and Conclusion
As you begin your telecommuting career, you are most likely excited about the extreme cost savings, flexible personally-managed schedule, your new found uniform of slippers and sweatpants. But as your have read, isolation, work-life balance, and lack of face-to-face communication can pose challenges. By anticipating these potential feelings, you will be better
Running head: Telecommuting 7
equipped to address them if they arise. Above all, clearly communicating of goals and expectations with your employer should be a top priority.
Find out how you will be evaluated. Ask if you are being managed by results, rather than visual observation. If your job requires you to create content for user engagement, talk to your manager about reviewing the number of user views, rather than charting the number of articles you post.
Do not attempt to make up for working from home by imposing a never-ending schedule; it is not effective and can quickly lead to burnout. You will be responsible for managing your own career, therefore it is key to make and keep a calendar with clear working hours in order to balance your flexible schedule. If you find it too difficult to separate yourself from home and work, try renting a desk or an office to physically delineate your work and personal schedules (Thorman, 2012), or grab a laptop and head somewhere with free wi-fi. Working at a coffee shop can deter both loneliness and get you away from distractions.
Be vigilant about maintaining workplace relationships. Network with other professionals by joining in Chamber of Commerce mixers, and arrange to visit the main office on occasion to stay connected. You will most likely miss events that can be bonding experiences because you are separated from the group, so it is important to keep yourself involved in the company culture. Create coffee dates, happy hour gatherings, and celebrate your successes via social media; just make sure you are still part of the team.
Get dressed. When you work remotely, it's important not only to get out of your pajamas and dressed each morning, but to also be conscious and aware of the other challenges that telecommuters face (Thorman, 2012). Take breaks, listen to the radio, and take time to workout, garden or do other things you enjoy.
Find out how you will be evaluated. Ask if you are being managed by results, rather than visual observation. If your job requires you to create content for user engagement, talk to your manager about reviewing the number of user views, rather than charting the number of articles you post.
Do not attempt to make up for working from home by imposing a never-ending schedule; it is not effective and can quickly lead to burnout. You will be responsible for managing your own career, therefore it is key to make and keep a calendar with clear working hours in order to balance your flexible schedule. If you find it too difficult to separate yourself from home and work, try renting a desk or an office to physically delineate your work and personal schedules (Thorman, 2012), or grab a laptop and head somewhere with free wi-fi. Working at a coffee shop can deter both loneliness and get you away from distractions.
Be vigilant about maintaining workplace relationships. Network with other professionals by joining in Chamber of Commerce mixers, and arrange to visit the main office on occasion to stay connected. You will most likely miss events that can be bonding experiences because you are separated from the group, so it is important to keep yourself involved in the company culture. Create coffee dates, happy hour gatherings, and celebrate your successes via social media; just make sure you are still part of the team.
Get dressed. When you work remotely, it's important not only to get out of your pajamas and dressed each morning, but to also be conscious and aware of the other challenges that telecommuters face (Thorman, 2012). Take breaks, listen to the radio, and take time to workout, garden or do other things you enjoy.
Reference
American Community Survey Data (2012). Latest Telecommuting Statistics. Retrieved from http://www.globalworkplaceanalytics.com/telecommuting-statisticsBradley, Tony. Telecommuting Is Good for Employees and Employers. JANUARY 21, 2011. Retrieved from http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/217919
Harrison, David (2007). Telecommuting therefore has the potential to degrade the quality of the manager–subordinate relationship. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/ releases/apl-9261524.pdf
Hawkins, Michelle. The Effectiveness of Telecommuting for the Employee, Employer, and Society. 1999. Retrieved from http://www.csupomona.edu/~jis/1999/preiser-houy.pdf
Khoury, Samir. (2014). Telecommuting’s effect on the employee, the work group and society. Retrieved from http://www.sedsi.org/2009_Conference/proc/proc/p080918004.pdf
Lorenz, Kate. What's the advantage to telecommuting? November 13, 2007. Retrieved from http://edition.cnn.com/2007/LIVING/worklife/09/27/cb.work.home.advantage/ index.html?iref=newssearch
Mantrone, Lawrence. Beyong the telecommute debate. August 14, 2013. Retrieved from http:// www.projecttimes.com/articles/beyond-the-telecommuting-debate-seven-success-factors- for-virtual-and-collocated-project-teams-part-3.html
Thorman, Rebecca (2012) 5 Challenges of Telecommuting and How to Overcome Them. Retrieved from http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/ 2012/11/01/5-challenges-of-telecommuting-and-how-to-overcome-them
Welte, Jim. (2014). Advantages & Disadvantages of Telecommuting. Retrieved from http:// everydaylife.globalpost.com/advantages-disadvantages-telecommuting-3198.html
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