How Do I Sell Telecommuting to My Employer? 229
"I could look for a new job closer to where I want to move but I do like the work that I am doing and I like the direction that the company is going. My work mainly consists of communicating using email and the phone and using a computer for word processing, spreadsheets, etc. My job does require a good amount of interaction with my peers for meetings, troubleshooting and just answering questions so I am willing to spend a day or two each week in the office. Every other part of my job can be done just as effectively at home."
"Has anyone had a similar experience? What are some good arguments for my employer about why I should be allowed to telecommute? The biggest argument for me is my happiness but of course that is usually not the company's #1 concern.
This trend is becomming increasingly true of people who work in even a moderately technological work-places. Are these the signs that the traditional workplace of the 20th century is finally becomming obsolete? If so, how will employees and employers be affected by this change?
Telecommuting (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Telecommuting (Score:2)
Re:Telecommuting (Score:2)
having telecommuted before, I know my productivity does not go down, nor dd the productivity for our department when everyone was Telecomutting at least 2 days a week.
could some people abuse this privilage? sure. Thats why productivity is measured. Oh and I post on
Re: (Score:1)
Re:Telecommuting (Score:2, Interesting)
If you cannot manage your own time then that is nothing to do with teleworking........
Re:Telecommuting (Score:5, Interesting)
Since I've been working at home, I've found that I do tend to get distracted much easier by various activities, but it's not always what you think. I'm married with 2 kids, so my house isn't exactly a "working environment" by any means. So when I'm not thinking about loading up Half-Life, I've got my daughter wanting me to read stories to her or play her computer games with her. I still tend to get more work done at home though, since I usually don't have our support people coming to me every 5 minutes with a problem they haven't bothered to troubleshoot themselves.
One benefit beyond the whole "I'm tired of sitting in a car for 2 hours a day" idea is that working at home also allows you the feeling of greater flexibility over what time you'll be working that day. Instead of 8 to 5 or 9 to 6, it might be 12 to 8. Maybe you'll work a few hours this morning, then go hit the computer stores during lunchtime for a few hours, then come back and finish the day. This doesn't always work well when something at the office blows up and your coworkers end up talking to your answering machine, and the cellphone argument is negated by the fact that you were supposed to be home that day anyway. It all depends on how your company works. The people I work with have varying schedules, so on my home days I don't have to be at my desk at a certain time. As long as the work gets done on time everyone stays happy.
Working from home CAN work. You need self-discipline and a decent home-office setup to make things work. VNC via SSH is a beautiful thing in this case, since you won't have to have a full backup of your workstation at home. You also need to remove distractions. Tell your family members to stay out of your room during the day. Build a machine at home with no games installed and use that for your "work" machine. Hook it to a proxy that rejects everything you shouldn't be doing (like posting on Slashdot). Not like I do any of these things, but you get the idea.
Re:Telecommuting (Score:1)
Why is the above modded up to a 2? Any self respecting telecommuter (or a boss of one) knows that the above is flame bait and/or typicaly knee jerk reaction from a manager who honed his skills in 1950. The moderators seem to be a as clueless as the submitter.
If you are the type who requires a boss to breath down his neck to be a productive programmer or other IT worker, then I think you and your boss deserve each other. What discipline is your doctorate in any way? When I attended university, I didn't have professors breathing down my neck .. I either performed or failed.
That's how working in job above ditch
digging, or serving burgers should be.
I telecommute to a job 900 miles away. My productivity motivation is the view of the Rockies from my home office. Anyone who is telecommuting to escape hellish cost of living has all the motivation necessary: a nicer habitat.
BTW, the best way to convince your boss to let you do is to become a valuable employee, the once that gets high ratings during periodic performance reviews. That the economy is in the crapper can actually work to your advantage. As a valuable employee, your boss is motivated to retain you, but because of the economy, less able to entice you financially with raises. If you are inclined enough (or your company may have a such a policy), you can volunteer to accept a lower pay scale that reflects the presumably lower cost of IT talent in your target area. This isn't necessarily no gain for you. Average salaries in the Silicon Valley for instance, while higher than say Kansas City, are not in proportion to the cost of living. I.e.
The biggest productivity boost comes from not dealing with the day to day bull shitting that goes on. When I return to the head quarters, I'm stunned how little I get done during the day as people walk into my cube wasting time with small talk, office gossip, and then the stupid all hands meetings to deliver information that can be done with email.
When I first broached the topic of telecommuting with my boss, I put her in touch with several other successful telecommuters to deal with her fears. After my experience, she hired another telecommuter in a heart beat.
Re:Telecommuting (Score:2, Insightful)
What I did the last time I telecommuted is settle into a routine where I left for "work" at the regular time, drove to a nearby coffee shop for breakfast, then drove home. The shift in context was enough to put me in "I'm going to work" mode, and I would get started right away.
The other thing is to leave something simple unfinished the night before, so there's a built-in starting point the next morning.
Re:Telecommuting (Score:2)
At the office, it's just a different environment. Sometimes at home I would find myself working on other (personal) projects, or just having a difficult time getting focused on certain tasks.
For me, it mostly depends on what exactly "work" is. If it's something I truly love to do, I can be just as productive in either case. But if it's remotely boring or repetitive, it's just far too easy to get distracted at home. Most jobs/projects involve at least some work that isn't fun (writing documentation for example) that are more likely to be put off when there are a lot of distractions.
I've even found this to apply a little with my own business at times, when it comes to routine-type work, as well as those tasks you don't want to do but that need to be done.
I can say that having a dedicated part of the house (an office/computer room) does help quite a bit; a room with a good desk/chair, and no TV etc...
Re:Telecommuting (Score:1)
Re:Telecommuting (Score:2)
What's really important is a seperate room.
We have an irc server going where we discuss whatever we need to (and all the other gossip etc.)
I find I know more about my colleagues than when we sat next to each other.
Sure the distractions are there but they are everywhere. (water cooler, kicthed, cute staff's area etc.etc.)
It means I don;t have to get up at 7.30 any more (in fact we don't have fixed hours).
I can work when I feel like it and not work when I feel like it.
It does take some discipline. Personally I don't need the boss on my case to do my work, I enjoy what I'm doing. In fact my biggest gripe atm. is not enough work to keep my occupied.
We have face to face meetings once a month which are useful.
Because we have no office buildings our overheads are minimal. Work pays for my bandwidth and I get a pension & medical etc.
We've got enough money in the bank to pay the wage bill until February so we feel pretty secure.
The biggest problem I find is family members not respecting the workplace. (can you get this please, can you take me there please etc. etc.).
Sell him the sizzle, not the steak. (Score:3, Insightful)
What cost savings are there?
Start with a pilot project, one day a week -- then work you butt off during that time, show the productivity..
Re:Sell him the sizzle, not the steak. (Score:3, Insightful)
Put a manilla folder on your physical desk and label it "Tuesday".
Put tasks in it that you can do from/at home.
For example: expense reports, writing a report, writing a marketing plan, writing documentation (don't hate that).
Take the folder home on Monday night and work 10 solid hours on the tasks.
Come in on Wednesday and show how productive you were.
Soon, you will have 2 folders: Tuesday and Thursday.
You are allowed to have a Wednesday folder, but forget Monday and Friday. Everyone will think you are goofing off.
Another suggestion is to come in on Friday's at 0530 and depart at 1430. Helps with the commute and you are still THERE on Fridays.
,dave
Even better (Score:2)
Basically, my point is, by allowing you to telecommute, the company is providing you with a perk, and they're taking a risk during dangerous times. In exchange, you should be willing to prove through your actions that this means a great deal to you. And, you might just get promoted while you're at it
For the initial step, I agree with the above post, that you should convince them to allow a trial month, once a week, while you're still at your current location. Then, once you get them up to two days, move, and work early mornings. From there, three or even four days a week should be relatively easy.
You've got your argument already (Score:5, Insightful)
I think that pretty much sums up what you should be saying to your boss.
You can throw in some rhetoric about how it's cheaper for the company in the long run since you won't be taking up space, but I think sharing your relocation plans with your boss is the best way to go about it.
Simple, honest. Why make it complex?
-carl
Re:You've got your argument already (Score:1)
Because his boss will then know that he is considering leaving the company, which may put his job in jeopardy, especially these days. I think he can bring it up with his boss, but not try to introduce the idea that he will leave the company if he isn't allowed to telecommute. Focus on the positives, both for the worker and the company, but don't make any threats or hints.
Re:You've got your argument already (Score:1)
Certainly framing it in terms of an ultimatum is unwise. Perhaps the best approach is talking as though the relocation were contingent upon telecommuning rather than having further employment being contingent upon telecommuting.
And hey, if you're job's shaky enough that you can't discuss options with your boss, you should be circulating resumes anyhow.
-carl
Re:You've got your argument already (Score:2)
I've heard that if this is classified as an Act of War rather than an Act of Terror, insurance won't cover it anyways. Insurance covers damage due to terrorism, but usually not war damage. But maybe Bush's words were only rhetorical, and don't have any legal value (as far as insurance is concerned)? Is there an insurance lawyer in the audience, who could fill in the details?
Another option (Score:1, Funny)
Works for Me (Score:5, Funny)
1. Eat only beans for lunch. Repeat for at least one month.
2. During the month, try to be in close quarters (elevators, small meeting rooms, etc) with your boss as much as possible.
3. At the end of the month, bring up telecommuting.
If this fails, and if your digestive system is anything like mine, switch to an Indian food-only diet.
Re:Works for Me (Score:3, Funny)
Then, after stunning him with your foul breath, implant the telecommuting suggestion.
Re:Works for Me (Score:2)
Consider public transportation (Score:2, Insightful)
Instead, I started taking the train to work. Now instead of sitting stalled in traffic, hating it, I walk to the train, get on, leisurely read the paper, and play chess on my pilot if I finish the paper early.
I thought I'd hate it, but it turns out I love it, and my commute has really improved my chess game!
Re:Consider public transportation (Score:2)
this staement was brought to you by the Department of Redundancy Dept.
Just a little humor.
Re:Consider public transportation (Score:2, Funny)
Have you played Bobby Fischer on ICC, too?
Your immediate boss is the key (Score:5, Insightful)
If your boss (the guy you answer to 90% of the time) isn't comfortable with telecommuting, you'll never get the idea to fly.
A previous boss of mine wasn't super-comfortable with technology period -- he would never go for telecommuting. Now I'm my own boss -- and I'm all for telecommuting! As far as I'm concerned, you don't even have to be here for meetings, as long as you can use IRC.
If your immediate boss is comfortable with the idea (or can be made comfortable), offer a trial period of (say) 30-60 days. Do this before you buy a house 2-hours away. At the end of the trial period, if your boss is on-board with the idea, he can champion the idea to the higher-ups (if neccessary).
You may have to dangle a carrot -- a cut in pay or perks. This is your last card to play -- the company will save money with you not being there automatically (less electricity, less water, not buying your drinks/coffee/etc.) -- you sacrificing more is asking quite a bit. But, if you really want to telecommute, it is something that you can put on the table.
But definitely try it before you commit -- you may find that it sucks terribly to make your home an extension of your work. Some people do. They find it oppressive, like they can never truly leave work. Try it, and if you and your boss likes it, it should be smooth sailing.
Re:Your immediate boss is the key (Score:2)
Me: I don't feel like going in to work today, I want to stay home.
Me: But Ian, if you don't go work, that means you have to stay in your bedroom.
Me: Damn. Maybe I can just telecommute? I could always teleconference.
Me: But you won't be able to receive the call if you are calling your own phone. Anyway, there's nothing that can replace talking to yourself in person.
Me: I suppose so. But I can still email myself.
Me: But your only computer is in your office, right outside of your bedroom.
Me: Grumblegrumblestupidbossgrumblegrumble
Relevant Article (Score:3, Informative)
A recent Washington Post article [washingtonpost.com] talks about government's efforts and issues with telecomuting.
I like the idea of telecommuting, and as a sysadmin do a fair amount of work from home; however, there are security concerns with extending trust out to Joe Average's machine at home that need to be dealt with before rolling out telecommuting for everyone.
telecommuting and productivity (Score:5, Informative)
Given that I no longer talk with the boss and warm the chair, I am feeling more pressure to produce now that I am located a thousand or more miles away. Think about it; one can often give the impression of doing work simply by being an active presence in the office. With telecommuting, the only way to show productivity is with e-mails, phone calls and actual files sent back and forth. I am anticipating that I will be called on to do more work in order to maintain my position.
Setting up the home network, however, has been a pain in the @ss! We need to rewire the coax, so I can have an office in the non-flood-prone area of the house, plus I am still in need of a router. I miss the LAN, especially the two fast laser printers, my file shares and three machines of my own in different locations.
Re:telecommuting and productivity (Score:3, Funny)
Re:telecommuting and productivity (Score:1)
I was working in New York, and when I decided to leave and live with the parents for a while in Illinois to save money and escape from general East Coast craziness
Imagine if all the people in the WTC were telecommuting--only the servers would have been destroyed...
While tongue in cheek, decentralizing targets might have a real value. If this escalates to a shooting war, it would be a lot harder for the enemy to stop the economy if they had to target 1 Million home offices rather than a single downtown.
Re:telecommuting and productivity (Score:2)
This is precisely why I'm trying to bring more 'Open sourceish' development practices in-house. All code gets checked into a CVS server, all announcements should be done via email mailing lists to show who's talking to clients, who's coming up with ideas, and who's writing them. By having telecommuting employees they're -forced- to function this way. No longer can a guy who sits in his chair for 10 hours a day look more important when they've only checked in 2,000 lines of code and on a few modules, when somebody who's there for far less time checks in 10,000 lines of code and completes block after block of code.
Nope...I'm -NOT- the most efficient coder at my place of work. But given the manner in which I've basically forced the past few projects to run I can prove I'm not
Do what I did... (Score:2, Funny)
well duh (Score:1, Insightful)
So, I guess if you're priceless to them they'll let you. If you're a slacker, like most people are, you're lucky you have a job, so don't push it.
What does employers focus on? (Score:1)
They'll save the - probably not too large - money it costs to have you commuting. They'll also get space freed in their office making room for another person doing something profitable. You've got chairs, desks, trash cans etc. at home they'll only need to get you a computer and pay parts of your phone bills, maybe an extra line.
They'll save additional money. When you're a little ill (say you've caught a heavy cold,) you don't show up for work, but if you were working at home you would get - at least some - work done since you're working on a computer, at your house.
Third you'll save the business money by being in friendly environments wich will increase work efficensy and make you able to make your work-schedule more efficient.
I'm sure I haven't thaught of the most obvious, please help making this list longer.
Re:What does employers focus on? (Score:1)
Re:What does employers focus on? (Score:2)
So, where do you live? If I asked my employer to pay for my "commute time" they would just laugh at me. Do people outside the US "punch-in" when they leave the house and "clock-out" when they arrive home in the evening?
Canadian Gov't Employee Perspective (Score:2)
Re:Canadian Gov't Employee Perspective (Score:2, Troll)
"Government thinking" is a contradiction of terms. That is especially so in Canada.
Re:Canadian Gov't Employee Perspective (Score:2)
It's just like Bureaucratic Efficiency, Military Intelligence, Microsoft Quality or Slashdot Spellchecking.
That clear anything up?
Many aren't as disciplined (Score:1, Interesting)
Sell them on the bottom line (Score:4, Informative)
On the books, 1 cube costs the department you work for US$1500/month. This includes maintainance, phone, network, etc etc. It may include other things like a per-head share of security personnel and cafeteria subsidies, but I'm not sure.
On the other hand, you can get a posh home office set up for about $1000 initial cost (desk, chair, files, phone installs, bandwidth installs (DSL, cable, whatever), etc) and $200-$300/month for recurring expenses (phone, long distance, ISP). Obviously, the bean-counters are going to jump at the latter amount.
Of course, we're kind of strange in that bosses and employees aren't always in the same geographical location anyway (my boss is in another country...I've met him in person once), so the supervision question isn't as important.
Re:Sell them on the bottom line (Score:2)
Many firms won't provision a home office - they'll just give you a notebook PC and cover your second phone line or DSL/cable and long-distance expenses. I use free VPN access over DSL ($50/mo) and my office phone transfers to my cellphone ($50/mo). So my telecommuting cost to the firm is only $100/month. In return, the firm gets a good 10-12 hours per day of productive work, some of it on evenings and even weekends. It's a good tradeoff for both me and my employer - I don't spend 2-3 hrs/day getting stressed on freeways, and my company gets at least some of that time back in the quantity and quality of my work. And when I'm not in meetings or at clients, my hours are flexible - I can work to meet needs, not the clock.
Where I work, a lot of employees telecommute - large conference calls always have leaf-blowers, babies crying, etc. in the background, but everyone simply ignores it. Telecommuting is a strategic enabler for big companies, but lots of worker can be happier and productive with it.
Productivity Increase (Score:3, Informative)
Webcams and IRC (Score:1)
The Electronic Commute (Score:1)
I had just set a guy up to commute (not tele-) from Pennsylvania to California, starting next week. It remains to be seen how viable that will be. And we've had several training classes cancelled or shrunk as customers can't make it out here.
In both those cases, while having their bodies in our office is the ideal scenario, we could function just fine moving data, voice, and images back and forth as needed. From talking with other folks, I'm getting the impression that remote working is high on their priority lists, too.
So perhaps you'll have to combine the painful commute with some work-at-home. But in general, there's impulse out there that should result in better infrastructure (both technological and in corporate thinking and procedures) for doing exactly what you want to do.
Good luck to you.
Depends on the job, and the individual (Score:3, Informative)
It also depends largely on how 'social' your job is. Do you have to attend meetings on a daily basis? Are you working as a member of a team or largely on your own?
I've been telecommuting for about two and a half years, and I have to tell you that it's a mixed bag. On the one hand, it provides a more relaxed and flexible work environment because I don't have to commute and don't have to worry so much about appearances and distractions - I just have to focus on results. On the other hand, you really do miss the clear separation of home and work time (it's harder to feel 'off'), and your employer can take advantage of that as well.
Lastly, I'm lucky because I'm single, but I can tell you from other folks I know that you are kidding yourself if you think you are going to get a lot of work done if you have small kids around. Telecommuting does not equal free daycare.
Re:Depends on the job, and the individual (Score:2, Informative)
My cousin worked for DEC/Compaq, and she worked from home 3 days a week - but on those days she had a sitter/nanny/whatever to take care of her two kids while she was working. It worked out great.
Re:Depends on the job, and the individual (Score:2)
Telecommuting (Score:1)
Maybe your approaching it the wrong way. (Score:2, Interesting)
Here is the way to help push a large set of employers to start trying it. Convince the localities to start providing tax breaks. Figure out the annual cost of commuting a full work week is for the community (road building, maintanence, increased police, fire and rescue, etc.) Then convince them to provide half of the savings back to each business that can prove the telecommuting.
For example, say it costs my state $500 a year to provide commuting services for me (this number was picked at random). If my employer can prove that they let me work from home three days a week, they should get a $150 ($100/day, and half goes to company) tax break.
a couple of caveats (Score:5, Insightful)
You will probably get lonely. I tc'd for a year. Flew to the office once a month. It wasn't enough.
Don't get isolated. Ask a lot of questions, get involved in the hot projects. Keep busy. Make sure others don't forget you....Isolated people make good layoff targets.
Work a "normal" day (Score:1)
One of the things you need to do is make your boss aware that, because of the amount of time you have to spend in the car, you will probably be too tired to think about working longer than 9-5. Also mention that this might cause an increase in sick days and incedental home emergencies that most other employees get off for free. These can always be voiced as "Well... I't not like I'm about to start doing this, but you never know"
government benefits as well... (Score:2)
(i recall a wired article you could look for on exactly this topic, i suggest locating it as well)
Telecommuting is a good PR thing to have on your employee services pages too, to make your place of business a more attractive place to work. Microsoft became famous just for being one of the first places to offer certain kinds of perks, like free sodas. This is now almost standard in many tech-firms (not all, depending on profits, etc etc). Perks are catchy
In any case, happy employees == productive employees. Ask anyone in Personnel...
Re:government benefits as well... (Score:2)
Telecommuting and Politics (Score:3, Interesting)
the problem isn't telecommuting (Score:2)
Re:the problem isn't telecommuting (Score:2)
Read Heinlein's "Moon is a Harsh Mistress", which is largely about just that concept...
-jon
try it out first (Score:1)
1) some people don't work well from home
2) some bosses don't think you can work well from home
Here's a suggestion that worked for me (BUT: I only telecommute occassionally and never for more than 2-3 days at a stretch). Try telecommuting from your current (close) location for 2 weeks (pre-agree with your boss - he will mind less as you're still in a close location and it's for a fixed time). Make this coincide with a new definable (sub-) project that you take on. First prove to yourself that this is an effective mode for you. Compare your productivity, and take active notice of when/where/how you work from home. BTW a home office is a must for this experiment to be valid. Second, make a point of reviewing the sub-project with your boss after 2 weeks, and getting feedback on the relative differences between your other projects and this one (do this in a subtle, non obvious, way). Again, this is not as threatening for the boss as a move 100 miles away.
Good luck. I've had jobs where telecommuting worked real well, but also 1 or 2 where it was a disaster and it's better in these cases that you come to this conclusion rather than your employer.
I actually like coming in (Score:1)
One of the things that makes me enjoy my job is definitely my co-workers. I don't want to just be a drone who crawls out of bed to his computer and produces code for the company.
There are a lot of personal and social benefits to being in the office. And rather than cubes, we have an open-office area, and I absolutely love it (this, after escaping from the Land of Cubicles).
Beware (Score:4, Informative)
Within the area of the company I know about, every fulltime telecommuter was laid off, without exception.
Given the current state of the economy and the likelihood of layoffs wherever you work, you may wish to consider this.
Considered Private Pilot's License? (Score:1)
You might be better of flying in at least two or three days a week.
Possibly look to shack up with someone else in the company, or get a small 1BR apt.
The other option is to lure a TOP engineer or other management out to this location
How I did it... (Score:3, Interesting)
It is working great for me, but YMMV. Make very sure you can handle the isolation, although your two hour distance makes visits much easier than what I have here.
Telecomuting is a mindset... (Score:2)
Then, with a strong amount of pressing, one employee got senior management to agree to one day a week of telecommuting. (Over the head of my boss, I'll admit.) Great. Then others were soon after able to telecommute one day a week, if they chose.
If it isn't significantly abused, and they feel like you are doing work at home, and doing a good job, then they'll open up the doors. You've GOT to do staff notes, and you've GOT to be available the entire time you are working at home. Only a half of a year later, the attitude is closer to, "We don't care where you work from."
And, in fact, we have people in our group that aren't even in the same part of the country as we are. As long as we can get ahold of the other team members (telephone, AIM, emails), we're fine.
Also, it has become more commonplace at our work because of the corporate environment. After the mergers and acquisitions, things are fairly mixed around.
I could be the system administrator for some boxes in Omaha, with the application support people in another state, my project manager in the office in my city, a networking project manager at another major site in another city, a performance analysis specialist in yet another city, and the users all over the US.
It doesn't matter if we work together. Probably the key part of this for a systems administrator was trashing the policy that an SA at a site must administrate only the boxes at that site. It also helped that we had a dedicated hardware group created that was responsible for the hands-on work at the site.
But really, it is all perception. If you can make them believe that they're not losing anything, they'll go for it. But I'd have to say, if you are not in the office, you probably have to kick ass even more than other employees to remain visible.
VISIBLE=pay increase, recognition, etc.
Solve the Root of the Problem (Score:1)
Err, someone mod me town for that telecommerce thing.
telecommuting: presence and expertise (Score:2)
I used to live close to an hour away from work, and would often telecommute if there was a problem in the morning before I left for that huge drive. On those days that I telecommuted, I noticed that I was less likely to get contacted by people in the office who had trouble, less likely to get contacted by customers, and that it took more time to get changes enacted by people in the office. They were more likely to forget about me. And once I moved to a new location (so close I can now cycle to work every morning, even if shit goes down), i noticed that more people started coming to ask questions or advice, more people remember my name and I'm overall a more respected worker.
I'd also like to point out that all of our telecommuting and half time developers were among those who felt the blade when we were on F---edcompany last year.
TC if you must...but realise you'll be much more expendable.
Don't Underestimate the Power of Happiness (Score:3, Insightful)
-----
From: David Barrett
Sent: Friday, June 08, 2001 12:25 PM
To: [My boss]
Subject: RE: What about telecommuting?
Ahh, the house hunting begins. Boy I despise moving. But I love San Francisco. It's such a dilemma... Thanks again for your help.
-david
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [My boss]
> Sent: Friday, June 08, 2001 12:31 PM
> To: David Barrett
> Subject: RE: What about telecommuting?
>
>
> Sounds good. [My boss's boss] said to send your bill for your ISP as an
> expense report and we'll pay it (or at least the $50 portion
> - I haven't mentioned that it would be more than that). Let
> me know if you think of something I can do. Also, let me know
> when you get moved. You'll need to let HR know about your new
> address and any other changes in your personal information.
> Have fun house hunting!
>
> [My boss]
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: David Barrett
> Sent: Friday, June 08, 2001 1:00 PM
> To: [My boss]
> Subject: RE: What about telecommuting?
>
>
> Wow, great! Thanks a million! I'm intending to get the
> wireless ISP called "Ricochet", which is pretty pricey, but
> I'll gladly pick up the remainder. Also, my cell phone has
> far more minutes than I actually use, and they're all the
> same price (local or long-distance), so I don't see that
> being a problem.
>
> Hm... I don't think there's anything I need you to do on your
> end, but I'll let you know if I figure something out. Thanks again!
>
> -david
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: [My boss]
> > Sent: Friday, June 08, 2001 11:54 AM
> > To: David Barrett
> > Subject: RE: What about telecommuting?
> >
> >
> > Okay, you have approval to telecommute. Here are the only
> > concerns voiced, so you know and can make sure to avoid them
> >
> > during work hours. I know you said you have a cell phone, so
> > that is a good option. Is your plan such that it will not
> > cost you a fortune if people call you on your cell phone?
> > Will you still have another business type phone we can
> > contact you on? Also, [My boss's boss] said to find an ISP and [My company]
> > will pay the bill (he said as long as it wasn't over $50).
> > That way you can have network access as well. I don't know if
> > you already have an ISP or if you want to work with IS to
> > find the best option - money wise and speed/access wise.
> >
> > I'm excited for you that this has worked out. Let me know
> > what I can do to help you get everything set up. Just so you
> > know, [Our CTO] was consulted on your telecommuting as well and
> > he said as long as I was comfortable with your being able to
> > meet your deliverables, he was fine with it as well. [My boss's boss] had
> > me check with [Our CTO] just as a second ok.
> >
> > So, again, let me know what you need from this end.
> >
> >
> > [My boss]
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: David Barrett
> > Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2001 2:29 PM
> > To: [My boss]
> > Subject: RE: What about telecommuting?
> >
> >
> > Great, thanks for considering it as an option. Here are the
> > pros and cons as I see them:
> >
> > --- Cons ---
> > (1) I would operate without physical supervision or
> > oversight. However, in reality this is already the case, as
> > I don't report to anyone here as it is. Plus, my office is
> > located in such a fashion that the only person I see with any
> > regularity is [Our CTO], and even that is rare. Thus, it seems
> > to me that if I've operated acceptably without supervision
> > until now, I see no reason why I would fail to operate
> > acceptably in the future.
> >
> > (2) I wouldn't have immediate access to the resources of the
> > office. For example, it'd be difficult to get a fax to me
> > immediately. However, I don't see this as a major hindrance,
> > as aside from the printer, I don't really use the resources
> > here as it is. I rarely fax things or make copies, and I
> > only get about one phone call a week (and that could easily
> > be moved to my cell phone). Plus, I can easily get an
> > Internet connection that will allow me continual access to
> > the [My company] VPN from anywhere.
> >
> > (3) I would be less available for spontaneous, unscheduled
> > physical meetings. As it is, I rarely work with anyone in
> > this office. Thus, I rarely meet with them on a
> > pre-scheduled basis, and even more rarely without planning.
> > I can easily arrange to be in the office for scheduled
> > meetings, and I'd happily remain "on call" to come in to meet
> > with people as needed.
> >
> > --- Pros ---
> > (1) I could move to San Francisco. I've been dreaming of
> > doing it for literally my entire life, and the only thing
> > preventing me from doing so is an obligation to show up at
> > this office every day.
> >
> > (2) I would be more productive. I've known for years that I
> > operate best outside of the office, and I'd be happy to
> > provide references to previous employers to justify that
> > statement. As it is, I only stay in the office long enough
> > to check my email and access file servers, and then I take my
> > laptop somewhere else to do my writing. Thus, I would not
> > only remain at least as productive as I already have been,
> > but would likely become more productive by not limiting my
> > Internet access to short office visits.
> >
> > (3) I would be happier. Without getting too deeply into a
> > philosophical discussion about what makes life good, let's
> > just say that I try to structure my life in such a fashion as
> > to maximize freedoms. One of those freedoms is a decoupling
> > of physical location and virtual productivity. Due to a
> > combination of a fast wireless network (Ricochet), a job
> > where I can make a valuable contribution from a remote
> > location, and the proven ability to effectively operate
> > without physical supervision, I am in a unique position to
> > realize this wonderful freedom. I fully understand that not
> > everybody has these same factors in their lives -- indeed,
> > without any one of these factors the others are irrelevant.
> > However, I have all three factors in my life, and it seems
> > like a shame to waste such an opportunity.
> >
> >
> > Thanks for considering this possibility, and please let me
> > know if there's anything I can do better the chances of this
> > getting approved!
> >
> > -david
> >
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: [My boss]
> > > Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2001 8:24 AM
> > > To: David Barrett
> > > Subject: RE: What about telecommuting?
> > >
> > >
> > > I really don't have a problem with telecommuting - I think
> > > for some people it is a great option if they don't have lots
> > > of distractions at home or are able to manage those
> > > distractions. I'm not sure how [My boss's boss] feels about it. Let me
> > > talk to him and I'll get back to you.
> > >
> > > Why don't you send me a list of what you feel the pros and
> > > cons are for telecommuting in your situation (I have
> > > documents that generally list them, I'd rather have a list
> > > specific to your situation). Once I get that, I'll talk with
> > > [My boss's boss]. I know he is out today, so it may be a day or two before
> > > I can catch up with him.
> > >
> > > Thanks!!
> > >
> > > [My boss]
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: David Barrett
> > > Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2001 5:33 PM
> > > To: [My boss]
> > > Subject: What about telecommuting?
> > >
> > >
> > > [My boss] - What are your thoughts on telecommuting? I looked
> > > around a bit but couldn't find anything that discusses
> > > the topic. Currently it's a big inconvenience to work out of
> > > the Cupertino office, as there's nothing I can do here that I
> > > can't do elsewhere. Aside from a good net connection,
> > > printout capability, and free drinks, this office isn't of
> > > much use to me. Only very rarely do I actually work with or
> > > professionally interact with the people here -- at a
> > > frequency that I could easily maintain even were I to
> work remotely.
> > >
> > > As it is, this office is the only thing that prevents me from
> > > moving to San Francisco (about a 45-1.5 hour drive, depending
> > > on the traffic), something I've been dreaming of doing for
> > > years. Seeing as how I end up driving there every other day
> > > anyway, it's a big drain on time and gas money to keep going
> > > back and forth. Between my laptop, cell phone, and wireless
> > > network connection (which I can get), I can be equally
> > > productive from virtually anywhere. Really, as best as I can
> > > tell, I am much more productive in the comfortable atmosphere
> > > of coffee shops and restaurants than in the sterile confines
> > > of an office anyway.
> > >
> > > Basically, as I see it, there are lots of upsides and few
> > > downsides to me working remotely. But that's just my
> > > perspective. What are your thoughts?
> > >
> > > -david
> > >
> >
>
Some ideas from an employer's perspective (Score:1)
I run a small Web development firm, so telecommuting is something that is easy for us to implement for part of the work week, especially when we are engaged with larger projects that require less day to day collaboration.
As an employer, I see it as a productivity issue. Rather than spending time commuting, that employee can be spending time with their family, getting more sleep and exercise. Thus, they able to put more attention towards their work.
The key issue in convincing an employer to allow you to telecommute is to demonstrate, before you even broach the issue, that you are productive and able to move on to new tasks without direction. You should attempt to show that you can run on "autopilot," such that your employer doesn't feel that s/he has to activity manage your activities. Perhaps a starting point you could suggest meeting with your manager on a weekly basis and get a week's worth of assignments at a time. If this routine is established, telecommuting is the next logical step.
For the manager, the key stumbling block is the issue of control. If you can ease this fear then the issue of telecommuting appears more palatable. Good luck!
Honor your contract (Score:1)
I have been telecommuting for three years (Score:1)
So, I guess if you're priceless to them they'll let you. If you're a slacker, like most people are, you're lucky you have a job, so don't push it.
Given that you suspect you're not viewed as a slacker, here's what I did:
I moved from the hellhole commutes of N. Va. to out near the mountains. During my house search I also did a job search. When I had a house and an offer lined up I went back to my employer and said, "I would love to telecommute, I love this job, but if you don't want that here's my two week's notice." Once they're reeling from that (and if they are NOT snickering) start in on the standard productivity enhancements that come with being away from football pools, 3:00 p.m. beer parties and people dropping by your office so you can figure out their lives for them.
Good Luck at either job!.
telecommuting and terrorists (Score:2)
Re:telecommuting and terrorists (Score:2)
Heinlein wrote a short story in the 1950's about the need for the US to decentralize. He was thinking about nuclear bomb attacks; not giving any one large target was a good idea. At the time, he said the US would just have eat the lowered productivity and growth in order to give the country a chance to survive nuclear war (and make the US harder to conquerer).
He poo-poo'd telecomuting, thinking that people are social animals who need "face time." Maybe slashdotters are outliers; I dunno.
-jon
Re:telecommuting and terrorists (Score:2)
Re:telecommuting and terrorists (Score:2)
For instance, I work for a company with offices around the world, including one in the WTC. Fortunately, the offices were very low in the building and everyone escaped. Thanks to offsite backups and a telecommuting infrastructure already in place, within two days of the attack, they had setup everyone to be able to work as telecommuters out of our New Jersey office, so those who were ready to get back to work could do so. (Of course, management completely understands that not everyone is ready to go back to work yet, but just getting e-mail for those workers back online helped in determining everyone was okay and in giving them a way to communicate with their friends and colleagues.)
While the odds of your office being destroyed by terrorists are low, there are dozens of other reasons your office could be unavailble (fire, flood, earthquake, power blackouts, etc.) and the only way your workers have to be productive is via telecommuting - but waiting until you need it to set it up is usually too late.
Telecommuting is not for everyone and ever job! (Score:1, Informative)
Before I describe how I made this happen, let me talk about the drawbacks of telecommuting. It can get lonely. Beleive it or no, you may actually start to miss co-workers. If you have the type of personality that needs constant companionship, forget it.
The other drawback is maintaing visibility at work. Managers tend to walk out their door and give assignments to the first person they see. If you're never seen, you may not get the good assignemnts. This can be overcome, but it's up to the telecommuter to maintain communication with thos in the office.
One final drawback about working from home: it is hard to stop at 5:00. I find myself working MORE hours because it's convenient and the work needs to be done. I don't mind this, and consider it a trade off for the flexibility I have. I have found that it takes a real effort to stop working sometimes.
Now that I've given all the negatives, let me say that I will never go back to an office. The flexibility I have with my time is great.
Now you probabvly want to know how it happened. It's simple really, I asked. I asked when I interviewd for the job, I asked when I started, and I asked every manager I have had. I started working in the office 5 days a week, and let my manager know I wanted to telecommute. I starte working form home 1 day a week then 2 , then 3.... The point is I was consistent and determined. When I sat with a manager during reviews, I explained that I wanted to telecommute, and why. When I met wiht a director, I discussed it. Every chance I got, I mentioned it to someone. It took about 2 years to get to working form home full time. Even now, when I get a new manager, or sit in a review, I explain why it is so important to me. I constantly advertise how happy telecommtuing makes me, and how coming to the office would be bad.
I don't go so far as to give ultimatumns, but all of my latest managers understand that if telecommuting went away, so would I. THis is important if you're an asset to your company. If your just an ass, well then I can't help you
Since I've staretd telecommuting, 2 others in my group have moved away form the office to more affordable housing. Ther is strength in numbers, if it's important enought to you, start talking about it. Don't expect it to happen overnight, but be persistent and determined.
This is slashdot, so I won't go into the technological part of telecommuting. If you can't figure that out, you should be somewhere else
blah, blah, blah. Hope this helps someone. (obviously I don't get paid to write)
Change Jobs (Score:2)
When you're changing jobs is when you have the most leverage.
You don't sell it because it doesn't work. (Score:1)
A recent industry survey had these results:
Plans for telecommuting programs:
4% Increase
5% No change
21% Phase out
62% Derease
8% no response
So basicly employers have figured out the scam and the gig is up. Productivity when you live where you work sucks, and is downright depressing in most cases. Not to mention the royal pain of the VPN and other networking issues, and all the security issues it raises. The relationships with your coworkers don't work very smoothly, and forget promotions.
Of course in some business models (those 9% above) it does work. Find a job at one of those companies.
It depends on you, your job and your environment (Score:1)
a great concept but its NOT for everyone. Not
ALL jobs work out to be practical for telecommuting and not everyone is suited to telecommuting.
The first thing you should look at is your job,
is it practical to telecommute? Can you eliminate the need to physically be in the building? Jobs that are well suited to telecommuting are mainly development jobs, where you can work on projects by yourself with some interaction with other developers (via email, instant messaging etc). Once you have eliminated the need to be in the building, you need to justify it to your employer. If you are working from home, they have no idea if you are out by the pool or working hard from your home office. If you are the only one, you'll have a hard time pushing it. If you do have to "push" the concept on your manager, chances are you'll have to agree to strict time management and reporting (eg. you have to account for every hour you've worked). The other matter is are you on a salary or waged, if you are waged (hourly pay + overtime), forget it, if you are paid about the same or not much more than the folks at McD's then forget it. On the other hand, if you are paid fairly well and have a heavy workload, working from home can be a major benefit (eg. easier for you to work long hours, less interruptions - nobody walking past your cube for a chat, commute time can be spent working).
If your job is practical for telecommuting (yes we'd all like to think all our jobs are but they're not), the next thing to look at is yourself. What kind of work ethic do you have? Do you work in the same manner as you would if it was your company? or do you take a two hour lunch and take credit for the work of others? If you are honest, hard working and enjoy your work, then telecommuting is for you. Telecommuting isn't a walk in the park, you'll end up working longer hours, weekends and the line between work and home can get blurred so much, that you lose control.
So if you think your job is suited and you can handle telecommuting, the next thing to look is your environment. This means, can you physically allocate a work space within your home? Is your home located where you can get broadband internet access and reliable cellular phone access? Can you afford to purchase the infrastructure you'll need at home to work? Most companies won't supply that. Are you going to be bothered all day by
telemarketers, kids, or family pets?
I've worked and managed groups of teleworkers over my past few jobs. I've seen people excel and I've seen people lose their jobs over it. You have to be pretty strict, not only so you remain productive, but so you remain sane. Telecommuting is a very cool way to work, you have a flexible schedule (eg. if you need to make a doctors appointment, you can go anytime, and make up the time in the evening), the most important thing to do is make that time up so that you remain productive. If you have to "push" the idea on your employer, you had better make sure everything goes smoothly and you work twice as hard, otherwise, you could end up jobless.
try asking.... (Score:2)
Step 1: Ask your boss abotu it. If he/she says no ask for a list of reasons/concerns why he/she feels it wont work.
Step 2: Go down the list of concerns and thoughtfully address each one. "You're wrong" won't cut it but "well what if I did X to sovle that" will.
Step 3: add to the lsit al lof the positive benefits to the company that you can think of. Include such things as better focus because youre not exhausting yourself with a 4 hour trip each day.
Step 4: Return that list to your boss. Ask for his/her response. If new issues come up, address them calmly and rationally.
In the end one of three thinsgwill happen:
(1) Your boss will give in.
(2) You will realize your boss is right.
(3) You will hit an impasse like "we have a policy not to do that" in which case you might want to think about lookign for a new employer.
Cost Justification -- Productivity (Score:2)
Making telecommuting actually work (Score:1)
1.) Broadband, this is a necessity when you are working away from the office. Being able to have fast access to our files and our exchange server is a necessity.
2.) I'm sure there are other solutions out there like this, but we use GoBeam [gobeam.com] for Voice over IP. Using a broadband connection you can setup a 'soft' PBX and have remote locations wherever you want them. For instance, if someone dials our main number, and punches in my extension, it will ring at home if im there, or ring at my office if im at my desk (or ring on my home phone and cell if I want). This makes the move home virtually seamless and its pretty simple.
3.) You need self motivation, its way to easy to get into telecommuting only to find it makes you a complete lazy bastard and you just sit around eating goldfish and drinking coke. If you are the kind of person that only works well in an office, telecommuting is not for you. It can be really easy to get distracted and loose track of time. No company wants to pay an employee who is playing instead of working.
Just my $0.02
Telecommutting (Score:1)
When I'm on vacation, I get called to fix a problem.
When I'm home sick, I get called to design a new feature.
When I leave work for lunch, something comes up...
My experience trying to telecommute... (Score:2, Interesting)
I recently changed jobs to a "traditional" company that has been in business for almost 50+ years in their present incarnation (over all it's been like 100 years). Anyway, I was told and shown how "progressive" my new employer was when I hired on. It's a very stable company that does use some cutting edge stuff, uses cool technology and I thought great, best of both worlds.
As it turns out, things aren't as progressive as I thought. They have a great VPN system and dialup access for travelling users. Their network is stable and well run. But one thing...they don't trust anyone to work from home and they feel that if you aren't glued to your monitor at a desk from 8a-5p, then you aren't working.
I learned this when I found out my wife and I were pregnant. So I started planning leave time (don't get me started there either...) and I wanted to move to a flex schedule and/or a work from home situation. So I could spend time with my new child and family. I'm a firm beleiver in "Working to have a life" and NOT "Have a life to work".
They wouldn't hear of it. The funny thing is this isn't my manager just saying this. It's a company wide attitude. The line I got was that I'm a "support" position so I needed to be here at my desk "just in case". Actually I'm a web architect/admin and do little if no support at all. 98% of my job can be done from a remote location. The other 2% can easily wait a day. So I argued it. I didn't get anywhere. I even offered to work 4 x 10 hour days and take Friday as a work from home day. Nope. Nothing. They actually told me they didn't "trust" that people would actually be working at home.
I explained how I felt and that I thought this didn't promote well being or a healthy work environment and that the lack of trust was unusal. Stone faced they told me no again. So I have given up.
My commute isn't *hours* away, but I'm a good 40 minutes each way. Mostly, I'm a little angry at myself for not checking this out closer *before* I hired on. I don't blame the company (although I feel a little like they mis-represented their "progressive"-ness).
I'm considering finding another job once my baby is born and things settle down with all this talk of war (if it does by then). I don't want to work for a company which doesn't trust it's employees. I'm an adult, I have two degrees and am an experienced professional in my field .
I told my manager they need to worry about managing my work output and stop managing me. I don't think he understood. I think that tends to be a problem in many companies and with many managers: "If I don't see you, how can I trust you and manage you?"
My Thoughts,
~silver"serf"
The telecommuting management problem (Score:2, Insightful)
For a sysadmin, the measure of his success is that nothing happens, nothing goes wrong. Cell phones ring anywhere. If the quality sysadmin doesn't keep hours at the office where he can be seen to be working, how does the manager know he works at all?
So, to answer the poster's question: To convince your manager to let you telecommute you must first convince him that your work is quantifiable without you keeping office hours. Keep a log of what you do. Start emailing the boss a Friday Report. Get him comfortable with the idea that he knows and can justify to his boss exactly what your contribution to the company is each week. THEN bring up the idea of telecommuting.
The most successful telecommuters I've seen are the ones who produce billable hours for the company. The customers know whether the work was done and the boss knows how many billable hours to expect per pay period based on what's generated by the folks who do work in the office.
This all assumes you're with a small company where the boss is able to authorize telecommuting. If you're a cog in a monolithic bureaucracy or working for the government, forget it. Your choices there are: stay or go. If you stay its by their rules.
Important note: Its much easier for the guy in the office to get a merit based raise. Even with the suggestions above, the hard worker is the guy who is seen to be working hard.
For myself... (Score:2)
When I'm home, I do home stuff, when I work I do work stuff. Trying to put both together will be a total failure, no matter how hard I try.
Besides, I *like* drinking beer at lunch with my coworkers...
Telecommuting team members - oops (Score:2)
I think it's important to consider the nature of someone's job when discussing telecommuting. For example, I work in a software development house, and commute an hour either way to work. I'm about the limit; those who come from further make arrangements to stay with friends near work during the week or some such. I couldn't do my job properly by telecommuting.
Sure, I could make all the same arguments as everyone else. My code all goes into CVS, as do my docs. We could hold meetings using teleconferencing or some such. My not being in the office would probably lower overall costs for the company. One of the guys at work does even telecommute. But the simple fact is that, for someone doing my job, it wouldn't be appropriate.
The reason is that I'm part of a small, tight-knit team, as are many in my line of work. I interact with my colleagues on a minutely basis, never mind hourly or daily. Research into working conditions has demonstrated on more than one occasion now that putting a team in a comfortable but shared area leads to significant productivity increases, mostly due to the spontaneous communication that occurs between them. A asks B about something, C overhears and worked on it last week, and provides useful information that neither A nor B previously had. The customer rings and speaks to D, but D can ask E for further input halfway through the conversation. This sort of thing happens all the time where I work.
That level of communication simply can't happen with telecommuting, and without it, there's no way our team could function anything like as effectively as it does. So, as much I hate to admit it (since I'd love to TC), I couldn't do my job as well if I did.
Start small (Score:2)
Propose telecommuting 1 day/week as a trial, with the possibility of going up to more.
You will have picked up 4 hours a week by doing so.
Why managers reject telecommuting: Fear. (Score:2)
Fear of loss of control over their direct reports, fear of loss of productivity, but more than anything else, fear that telecommuting will make middle management obsolete.
Bosses need proof (Score:2)
One thing that you have to do is convince your boss that you're going to be productive at home. That's because your boss will most likely assume that if you telecommute, you're just sitting around in your underwear watching cartoons and d/l-ing pr0n.
If you have remote access to your workplace, then take a Saturday or 2, do some work from home, then show your boss what you've done, the access logs,
Since you do need to have interaction with your cow-orkers, you'll have to come into work at least a few days a week. But if you can show some increased productivity when you're working out of your home, I'm sure your boss will tolerate you telecommuting a few days a week and arrange meetings on days that you are scheduled to be in the office.
You need a business built AROUND it. (Score:2)
The problem is that chances are you have your own cubicle or office, with a workstation on the desk, and a whole mess of software. If you telecommute, that workstation and desk are going to be running a screen saver and not much else. That's not efficient.
Telecommuting can work as a business model, but only if you really embrace that model, and that's difficult to do.
Suck it in and do it.. (Score:2, Interesting)
The first time I worked at home I needed to write some perl code to make a Linux box telnet to an OS/2 console and manage the network from a command line. I had a good junior admin whom I trusted, and I explained to the director that I would get the my work done much better if I took an old OS/2 server home and worked there instead.
Also right from the book, I promised that if I did leave the house during the day, I would always have my pager, and I would never be more than 60 minutes from the office. That either kept me at or very close to home.. no wandering around all day. I also promised that I would come right in to the office on a "home day" without any argument should I be asked.
One night, a server in another building crashed and my jr admin was on it. We spoke by phone for a few hours and I finally decided to go in. When I told the director I was coming in, she said, "oh thank God. I was hoping you would." I said to her very sternly, "we have an arrangement here, and I promised to come in as soon as you asked. I thought [he] could handle it with my instruction, but if you wanted me here, all you had to do was say, 'please come in' and I would have jumped in the car right away." She appreciated that, and we went out for drinks. My work-at-home project was very successful, and when the jr admin quit, we replaced him with my perl scripts, which they appreciated very much
Fast forward 2 years to Dec '00. As an IBM consultant, I am 'hired' to work on projects, either internal or external. I was about to be let go for the 1st quarter, but I felt we were leaving the customer with inferior procedures. I told my project manager what they needed (an automated NT server build process) and what I needed in order to put it together (a server and 3 months at home). They accepted my proposal, and I spent the wicked Philadelphia winter warm at home.
As far as distractions go, I absolutely had to tell my wife the first time I worked at home, "honey, when I go in this room and close the door, it's just like I'm in New York City. You can't keep walking in here and sitting down to chat with me." At first she argued saying "but I don't know when you're not going to be here everyday anymore." I replied, "if you don't let me work, it'll be sooner than later."
If you don't have scheduled times to meet with or speak to people, its absolute bliss. They basically told me, "see you in 3 months". I worked whenever I felt productive, even 1am on Sunday nights. I worked with my brain's clock, not my wall clock. I could take my wife (or myself) to the doctor, go shopping if I needed people contact, and most importantly work whenever I was productive. I know I had it extremely lucky, but I've had extremely good luck working at home.
I'm glad I had hints about how to go about "being the first one" in the office to try it out, and I'm glad I've known how to work at home before joining IBM where they practically force you to get used to not having any handholding! God damn I love my job.
Here's a way to make you feel better... (Score:2)
how to make your case (Score:2)
Identify the benefits of the situation, and be prepared with to discuss workarounds or compromises to accommodate the downsides of telecommuting. (And make no mistake about it -- there will be some downsides; you just need to make the case that they are outweighed by the benefits.)
Here are some of the things your boss probably cares about:
To tackle the real downsides of telecommuting, I'd suggest you find excuses to get into the office with some regularity -- once a month, minimum, ideally more like once a week. As for the perception-driven parts, well, just hope your boss isn't too pointy-haired... ;-)
Telecommuting = bad. (Score:2)
Of course, a few servers were ok, those were the ones managed by the people who could actually work from home and get work done.
Incidents like this seem to be common with telecommuters. If you really decide to push for it, make sure that other employees are up to doing it right, or things will get really screwed up in the end.
a matter of trust (Score:2)
Re:a matter of trust (Score:2)
Where are the environmentalists? (Score:2)
my "advice" and experience (Score:2, Insightful)
Salespeople know to it's better to market their message to people who will be receptive to the message. In your case, make your pitch to your current manager but be prepared to move on.
Managers either "get it" or they don't. They manage either a) by understanding what work has to be done and by tracking deliverables or b) by using "face time". You will know which camp your manager belongs to very shortly, if you don't already.
My recommendation is to "make your pitch" but be prepared to move on. That doesn't mean "give up." But, maybe you'll have to look for another job with a company that tolerates -- perhaps even supports -- telecommuting. Or, you might interview and offer to join another company on the condition that you be allowed to work entirely (or x% of the time) from home. In other words, you have to find someone receptive to your idea.
As an earlier poster remarked, do this before you buy that home 2 hours from a metro area.
Also, I wouldn't post my resume on a job board. A friend of mine was recently canned by the firm that found out he was looking, even though he won some peer recognition awards shortly before that.
-- Making It Work
I telecommuted a few times as a consultant. Here's what I recommend:
First, keep a cell phone with you. Always, ALWAYS have that with you during ANY part of the day someone from the office might reasonably call you. If you aren't immediately available, your manager(s) and coworkers will perceive that your absence from the workplace has diminished _their_ productivity.
Worried about the air-time charges? Ok, but resist the temptation to give your home number out. Someone will call you when you've stepped out for lunch or went to use the bathroom. Give out ONLY your cell phone number and then always call people right back. I emphasize "only" because as soon as you give out your home phone, it's possible it will end up floating around the office as "the number to reach [you]".
Second, make sure your email client is always running and always reply promptly to all emails, even if you can only say "I'll think about that" or "I'll get back to you on that."
Funny how the first two points are what people should do when they're IN the office. Huh.
Third, a few whiteboards at home and a digital camera worked great for mocking up UI's, object/data models, etc. Low tech, great results.
Fourth, dsl + ssh (with port forwarding) + other tools = virtually there.
Fifth, read what others said about the politics of not showing your face. You might lose promotion opportunities and might increase your chances of being laid off in hard times. I think this is more likely to happen when your manager isn't a sharp technical person who can accurately assess your contributions/efforts.
Indeed, if it's true (as another poster indicated) that firms are decreasing their telecommuting because of a perceived lack of productivity, I BET YOU these firms' managers rely more heavily on "face time".
So, sixth, to reduce the influence of politics, make sure the person you report to is or was extremely capable technically. Analytical people play fairer politics: they analyze rather than act emotionally.
As an aside, if I ever have to take another job as an employee, I intend to interview my prospective manager and his/her superior more fully. That means get a copy of _their_ resumes, ask them what challenges they've faced, how they reacted, etc., to find out how sharp and open-minded they are.
-- Productivity
My productivity was equal to or better than it was in the office, even though the work still required a fair amount of interaction with others. My suspicion is that once you understand the business requirements for a project, communication within the design and implementation teams can be done completely electronically. However, I opted to perform the initial requirement-gathering activities in direct meetings with analysts. "Show me what you mean" and "draw out what you'd like to see" is more easily done in person.
One of the things that helped make my productivity MARKEDLY higher was using my own equipment. Companies ALWAYS under-equip their top talent. Why spend $130k on salary (with overhead) and not pay $4k more for an extra 10% or more in yearly productivity? (And that's cost-accounting, not accounting for the value of the work output to the company's revenue and profits.) Here at home, I invested in dual monitors (21"/17"), a server, tape backup, and a cheap laptop for email only.
The cheap laptop meant I could go to the office and still have all my email with me. I don't like web mail because administrators are always limiting the size of mailboxes and because I personally love the UI and multiple-account handling features of Outlook Express. (I don't like Outlook.)
Of course, I don't bother trying to explain any of this to managers who don't already know it. (At least, not any more.) It's just not worth the time.
Same goes for many things. If your manager is unreceptive to your ideas generally, go work for another manager. You'll be a lot happier working somewhere where your contributions are considered and perhaps tested, rather than ignored or flatly disregarded.
--Conclusion
Of course, I don't really know your situation. So read the foregoing "advice" but use at your own discretion and risk.
Use what makes sense to you and throw out what doesn't.
Best of luck.
They psychological effects of telecommuting (Score:2)
I once had a job doing software development where I worked at home full time. The first thing I noticed was that I spent a lot more time working. Instead of getting to work between 8 and 9 a.m. I was getting to my PC at 7:00 a.m. Instead of taking an hour to get out of the office and eat lunch I was taking 10 minutes to make a sandwich in the kitchen and eating as I worked. Instead of getting up from my desk, driving home, and putting work aside for the day I worked until my wife came home. I helped make dinner, ate, and then went back to work. I went to bed some after 10 p.m. In other words, my 8 to 10 hour workday turned into a 14 to 16 hour workday. Yeah, I watered the lawn, did the dishes, and did some laundry. But, that didn't take an hour out of the day.
After a while I got so lonely that I started driving over to a mall to eat lunch just to see people.
I eventually found another job where I had to actually go to work. I learned that I work much harder when I supervise my self than I have ever work for any one else.
Long term studies of telecommuters conducted by IBM show that in the long run there is a bout a 30% increase in productivity of telecommuting employees and due to reduced infrastructure costs there is also a great reduction in cost per employee.
Stonewolf
Re:I'll tell you why employers don't like it (Score:4, Funny)