Advantages and Disadvantages of Telecommuting
by A very general look at the increasing trend in telework.
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A basic advantage employers have when offering a telecommuting program to employees is a much wider range of applicants.
There is also a reduction in sick leave from work because a telecommuter can remain at home with a cold and still be productive.
Increased productivity is an advantage for many employers. A telecommuting pilot program for the state of California reported a 10-30% increase in productivity with teleworkers.
Another advantage is reduction of stress for employees, which results in more time for work. One of the top ten reasons employees miss work is stress related.
If there is a disaster, such as weather related, telecommuters can keep working in most cases.
Overhead costs are decreased when more people work from their home than in the office.
Then a great advantage for everyone is the environmental impact. A quote from Carol Browner, former administrator of the EPA, “If 10% of the nation’s workforce telecommuted one day a week, we would avoid the frustration of driving 24.4 million miles, we’d breathe air with 12,963 tons less air pollution and we’d conserve more than 102 gallons of fuel each week.”
So, with all these advantages; how could there possibly be any disadvantages? As with any great plan there are external and internal issues.
For example:
Boredom and procrastination are at the top of the list for non-productive employees that work from home, deciding their own schedule.
Teleworkers sometimes have a deep sense of isolation.
Workaholics can’t seem to call it a day if their work can be conducted 24/7.
Some spouses resent that they may have to leave for work while the other remains at home.
Another disadvantage is that the lack of social interaction of the office may make many workers feel cut-off and give them a feeling of being no longer in the loop. Plus a majority of workers fear promotion loss and that their bosses may view them as less committed to hard work.
Telecommuting is growing and that is a real step toward the future trend of the workforce.
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