As defined in Webster’s New World Dictionary, Third Edition,telecommuting is an electronic mode of doing work outside the office thattraditionally has been done in the office, as by computer terminal in theemployee’s home. Basically, it is working at home utilizing current technology,such as computers, modems, and fax machines. Traditionally, people havecommuted by cars, buses, trains, and subways, to work and back. Through theinnovation of telecommuting, , the actual necessity to change location in orderto accomplish this task has been challenged on the basis of concerns for energyconservation, loss of productivity, and other issues. One advantage of telecommuting is energy conservation.
A tremendousamount of energy is required to produce transportation equipment such asautomobiles, buses trains, and subways. If telecommuting is promoted, therewill be less use of this equipment and less energy will be required forproduction, maintenance, and repair of this equipment. Fuel resources needed tooperate this equipment will be reduced. The building and repair of highways andmaintenance requires a large consumption of energy, not only in the operation ofthe highway construction and repair equipment, but also in the manufacture andtransportation of the required materials.
An increase in the percentage ofpeople telecommuting to work will decrease the need for expanded highways andassociated road maintenance. The first two areas related to getting to work. Once a person arrives at a central office working location, he or she representsanother energy consumer, often times magnified many times over what would berequired at home. The office building has heating, cooling, and lighting needs,and the materials to build it and maintain it require energy in their productionand transportation. Working from home requires only modest incremental demandson energy for heating, cooling, and lighting needs, and makes effective use ofexisting building space and facilities.
Telecommuting also improves productivity. Much time is spent onunnecessary activities by people who commute back and forth to work in theconventional manner. Time is wasted from the minute one gets up to go to workuntil the minute one returns home from work. With telecommuting, one no longerneeds to be always preparing for the commute and for being presentable. Onecan go to work simply by tossing on a robe and slippers, grabbing a cup ofcoffee and sitting down to the terminal. You would no longer have to worry ifthe 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 nolonger interrupted by the idle chatter that inevitably takes place at thecentral work place – some of it useful for your work, but a lot of it is just awaste of time and a perpetual interruption. As quoted in Computerworld, onetelecommuter comments I was feeling really cramped in our old office. I find Ican get much more done. It is much more quiet here at home. In addition, telecommuting reduces family related stress by allowinginvolvement with family and flexibility in location of a remote worksite.
Working in the home offers people a greater opportunity to share quality timewith family members, to promote family values and develop stronger family tiesand unity. Also, time saved through telecommuting could be spent with familymembers constructively in ways that promote and foster resolution of familyproblems. Since the actual location a telecommuter works from isn’t relevant,the person could actually move to another town. This would alleviate the stresscaused when a spouse has an opportunity to pursue his or her career in anothertown and must choose between a new opportunity or no opportunity, because theirspouse does not want to or cannot change employment. If either person couldtelecommute, the decision would be much easier.
Also, telecommuting promotes safety by reducing high way use by peoplerushing to get to work. There are thousands of traffic-related deaths everyyear and thousands more people severely injured trying to get to work. Inaddition there is substantial property loss associated with traffic accidentsthat occur as people take chances in order to make the mad dash from home to theoffice. Often times people have mad the trip so often that they are not reallyalert, often falling asleep and frequently becoming frustrated by the insistencethat they come into the office every day, when, in fact, most, if not all oftheir work could be accomplished from their home or sites much closer to theirhome.
Telecommuting, however does have its disadvantages. The most obviousdisadvantage is the overwhelming cost of starting a telecommuting program. Astudy by Forrester Research, Inc. reveals that it costs $30,000 to $45,000 ahead to train prospective telecommuters. After the first year, however, per-user spending is cut to about $4,000, also, employees are starting to seetelecommuting policies as a benefit, and companies offering it will be morecompetitive. Another disadvantage is the psychological impact is may have onemployees.
Executives who have labored for years to win such corporate statussymbols as secretaries and luxurious corner offices are reluctant to shed theirhard-won perks. Some employees also complain that their creativity. . . hasbeen dampened by lack of interaction with their co-workers.
Despite the disadvantages, though, telecommuting is a viable option toany future plan to preserve and protect our environment from encroachment andpollution caused by auto emissions and the consumption of land by enlargedhighways and an increasing area for parking. A telecommuting program can be putin place by following a few tips from Mindy Blodgett in her article Lower costsspur 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 actualproductivity is best measured by the satisfaction and enjoyment by employees.Music Essays
