As defined in Webster's New World Dictionary, Third Edition, telecommuting is "an
electronic mode of doing work outside the office that traditionally has been done in the
office, as by computer terminal in the employee's home." Basically, it is working at
home utilizing current technology, such as computers, modems, and fax machines.
Traditionally, people have commuted by cars, buses, trains, and subways, to work and
back. Through the innovation of telecommuting, , the actual necessity to change location
in order to accomplish this task has been challenged on the basis of concerns for energy
conservation, loss of productivity, and other issues.
One advantage of telecommuting is energy conservation. A tremendous amount of energy is
required to produce transportation equipment such as automobiles, buses trains, and
subways. If telecommuting is promoted, there will be less use of this equipment and less
energy will be required for production, maintenance, and repair of this equipment. Fuel
resources needed to operate this equipment will be reduced. The building and repair of
highways and maintenance requires a large consumption of energy, not only in the
operation of the highway construction and repair equipment, but also in the manufacture
and transportation of the required materials. An increase in the percentage of people
telecommuting to work will decrease the need for expanded highways and associated road
maintenance. The first two areas related to getting to work. Once a person arrives at a
central office working location, he or she represents another energy consumer, often
times magnified many times over what would be required at home. The office building has
heating, cooling, and lighting needs, and the materials to build it and maintain it
require energy in their production and transportation. Working from home requires only
modest incremental demands on energy for heating, cooling, and lighting needs, and makes
effective use of existing building space and facilities.
Telecommuting also improves productivity. Much time is spent on unnecessary activities
by people who commute back and forth to work in the conventional manner. Time is wasted
from the minute one gets up to go to work until the minute one returns home from work.
With telecommuting, one no longer needs to be always preparing for the commute and for
being "presentable". One can go to work simply by tossing on a robe and slippers,
grabbing a cup of coffee and sitting down to the terminal. You would no longer have to
worry if the car will start, if your clothes are neat, or if you're perfectly groomed.
That may still be important to you, but it no longer has to be. And you are no longer
interrupted by the idle chatter that inevitably takes place at the central work place -
some of it useful for your work, but a lot of it is just a waste of time and a perpetual
interruption. As quoted in Computerworld, one telecommuter comments "I was feeling
really cramped in our old office. I find I can get much more done. It is much more
quiet here at home."
In addition, telecommuting reduces family related stress by allowing involvement with
family and flexibility in location of a remote worksite. Working in the home offers
people a greater opportunity to share quality time with family members, to promote family
values and develop stronger family ties and unity. Also, time saved through
telecommuting could be spent with family members constructively in ways that promote and
foster resolution of family problems. Since the actual location a telecommuter works
from isn't relevant, the person could actually move to another town. This would
alleviate the stress caused when a spouse has an opportunity to pursue his or her career
in another town and must choose between a new opportunity or no opportunity, because
their spouse does not want to or cannot change employment. If either person could
telecommute, the decision would be much easier.
Also, telecommuting promotes safety by reducing high way use by people rushing to get to
work. There are thousands of traffic-related deaths every year and thousands more people
severely injured trying to get to work. In addition there is substantial property loss
associated with traffic accidents that occur as people take chances in order to make the
mad dash from home to the office. Often times people have mad the trip so often that
they are not really alert, often falling asleep and frequently becoming frustrated by the
insistence that they come into the office every day, when, in fact, most, if not all of
their work could be accomplished from their home or sites much closer to their home.
Telecommuting, however does have its disadvantages. The most obvious disadvantage is
the overwhelming cost of starting a telecommuting program. A study by Forrester
Research, Inc. reveals "that it costs $30,000 to $45,000 a head to" train prospective
telecommuters. After the first year, however, "per-user spending [is] cut to about
$4,000", also, "employees are starting to see telecommuting policies as a benefit, and
companies offering it will be more competitive." Another disadvantage is the
psychological impact is may have on employees. "Executives who have labored for years to
win such corporate status symbols as secretaries and luxurious corner offices are
reluctant to shed their hard-won perks." Some employees also complain that their
"creativity... has been dampened" by lack of interaction with their co-workers.
Despite the disadvantages, though, telecommuting is a viable option to any future plan
to preserve and protect our environment from encroachment and pollution caused by auto
emissions and the consumption of land by enlarged highways and an increasing area for
parking. A telecommuting program can be put in place by following a few tips from Mindy
Blodgett in her article "Lower costs spur move to more telecommuting":
"Form a telecommuting team that includes technical experts, upper managers and human
resources staff, and assign a telework coordinator."
"Contact other companies to learn from their experiences."
"Train participants and supervisors."
"Monitor the program through surveys before and after a pilot."
Measuring productivity in actual dollars is difficult. The actual productivity is best
measured by the satisfaction and enjoyment by employees.
Bibliography
Bjerklie, David and Partick E. Cole. "Age of the road warrior." Time 145.12 (1995):
38- 40.
Blodgett, Mindy. "Lower costs spur move to more telecommuting." Computerworld 30.45
(1996) 8.
Blodgett, Mindy. "Telecommuting pilot test proves space-saving plan." Computerworld
30.46
(1996) 81-82.
Webster's New World Dictionary of American English, Third College Edition. Victoria
Neureldt, Ed. 1988 New York 1375.
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