Sonia Fischer
Telecommuting, or working from a location other than an official
jobsite, is a great way to boost employee morale, save money on
office space, and help reduce automotive emissions. While there
are many positive outcomes of telecommuting, there are also
pitfalls that must be avoided. Before implementing a
telecommuting policy, there are several considerations every
organization should consider.
First, it's important to consider who might be eligible to work
from home. Are there specific positions that can be identified
for telecommuting? Are there positions where telecommuting is
not an option? How will this be decided? One consideration is
the ability to track employee workload. Is there a method of
measuring productivity for each position eligible for
telecommuting?
Next, a decision must be made about the approval process for
working offsite. Will there be an application process? What will
the process involve? Some employees, while they might be
eligible based on position, are not self-motivated and wouldn't
be good candidates for telecommuting. In this situation, there
must be the ability for management to decline the application
for telecommuting. However, there must be clear guidelines so
the process for approval is fair and unbiased. Who will make the
final decision if an employee requests approval to telecommute?
How will this be conveyed to the employee? Will the employee
have the ability to appeal the process?
Telecommuting involves technology. What equipment will the
organization provide for the employee? Who will be responsible
for setting up and providing maintenance on the equipment? If a
laptop is used, will the employee be expected to bring it into
the office for scheduled maintenance and upgrades or can that be
handled remotely?
Telecommuting also involves costs. Will the company pay for an
Internet connection? A phone connection or mobile phone
contract? These costs must be considered before authorizing an
employee to telecommute. If it's not cost-effective for the
company, it might not make sense to implement a telecommuting
policy.
The final consideration before allowing employees to telecommute
is the process for revoking the privilege. It must be written
into the policy that telecommuting can be discontinued, and the
reasons this may occur. This will remind employees that certain
standards must be maintained in order to continue working
offsite.
Many decisions must be made before announcing that the
organization is ready to allow employees to telecommute. These
decision can be guided by the questions raised above, but should
not be limited to the content of this article. Every
organization is different and with those differences come
additional concerns. For additional resources on telecommuting
in the United States, visit the federal government site,
http://www.telework.gov/, which offers guidance for both
supervisors and employees.
About the author:
Sonia Fischer has been telecommuting in various positions for
several years and uses this experience to advise others on
policy implementation. This article has been submitted in
affiliation with a site for Fax Machines (
http://www.Facsimile.Com/ )
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