telecommuting

I) Introduction


 * Telecommuting**, **e-commuting**, **e-work**, **telework**, **working at home (WAH)**, or **working from home (WFH)** is a [|work] arrangement in which employees enjoy [|flexibility] in working location and hours. In other words, the daily [|commute] to a central place of work is replaced by [|telecommunication] links. Many work from home, while others, occasionally also referred to as **nomad workers** or **web commuters** utilize mobile telecommunications technology to work from coffee shops or myriad other locations. [ Wikipedia.com ]

II) Background The roots of telecommuting lay in early 1970s technology, linking satellite offices to downtown mainframes by [|dumb terminals] using telephone lines as a [|network bridge]. The massive ongoing decrease in cost and increase in performance and usability of personal computers forged the way to decentralize even further, moving the office to the home. By the early 1980s, these branch offices and home workers were able to connect to the company mainframe using personal computers and [|terminal emulation]. The adoption of [|local area networks] promoted sharing of resources, and [|client server] computing allowed for even greater decentralization. Today, [|telecommuters] can carry [|laptop] PCs around which they can use both at the office and at home (and almost anywhere else). Telecommuters are linked to their home office by using [|groupware], virtual private networks, and similar technologies to collaborate and interact with team members. Telecommuting options increase the employability of proximal or circumstantially marginalized groups, such as mothers and fathers with small children, the disabled and people living in remote areas. It can also reduce an individual's [|carbon footprint], through minimizing daily [|commuting]. The set up also offers possibilities for increased service and international reach, since telecommuters in different time zones can ensure that a company is virtually open for business around the clock. Telework has also enabled [|offshore outsourcing]. Telecommuting provides employee flexibility, eases the working parent's burden, increases employee productivity, and reduces absenteeism. Virtual offices allow employers to keep valuable employees, allow employers to hire employees otherwise not available, and have facilitated productive re-engineering of order-management and customer service processes.

[ Wikipedia.com ]

III) How it works

Distributed work
Telecommuters need not necessarily work from the home. A more recent extension of telecommuting is distributed work. Distributed work entails the conduct of organizational tasks in places that extend beyond the confines of traditional [|offices]. It can refer to organizational arrangements that permit or require workers to perform work more effectively at any appropriate location, such as their homes and [|customers'] sites - through the application of information and communication technology. An example is [|financial planners] who meet clients during lunchtime with access to various financial planning tools and offerings on their mobile computers, or [|publishing] executives who recommend and place orders for the latest book offerings to libraries and university professors, among others. Another example is the telework centers around Washington, D.C. in Maryland (6), Virginia (8), and D.C. and West Virginia (one each), which generally are relatively close to a majority of people who might otherwise drive or take [|public transit], and also feature the full complement of office equipment and a high-speed Internet connection for maximum [|productivity], and perhaps may feature support staff such as receptionists.[|[12]] These work arrangements are likely to become more popular with current trends towards greater [|customization] of services and virtual organizing. Distributed work offers great potential for firms to reduce costs, enhance competitive advantage and agility, access a greater variety of scarce talents, and improve employee flexibility, effectiveness and productivity.[|[13]][|[14]][|[15]][|[16]] It has gained in popularity in the West, particularly in Europe. While increasing in importance, distributed work has not yet gained widespread acceptance in Asia.[|[17]]

Virtual offices
[|Virtual offices] are attractive to management because they reduce overheads, reduce office space needs, increase productivity, and reduce staff turnover. However, managers (whose roles are varied and not well defined) in telecommuting roles typically receive fewer promotions due to the lack of direct contact they need. From that aspect, telecommuting seems to work best for [|professionals] such as [|engineers].

Coworking
//Main article: [|Coworking]// Coworking is a social gathering of a group of people, who are still working independently, but who share a common working area as well as the synergy that can happen from working with talented people in the same space. Typically, a coworking facility offers [|hotdesking] and other services with common office infrastructure, as well as social areas such as a coffee shop.

Microjobs
Telecommuters who begin working from home part-time for one company may acquire self-employed status through agreement or necessity. From that position an employee may seek more work from other sources. Ultimately, the size of the job unit may reduce, so that many more people are working for small periods of time for multiple clients. These short-time-period jobs have been named [|microjobs].[|[18]]

Telecommuting 2.0
[ Wikipedia.com ]
 * Telecommuting 2.0** offers solutions to some of the problems that have kept telecommuting from being fully embraced by management and workers. Telecommuting 2.0 takes advantage of [|Remote Office Centers], which are distributed centers for leasing offices to individuals from multiple companies. A Remote Office Center provide professional grade network access, phone system, security system, mail stop and optional services for additional costs. ROCs are generally located in areas near where people live throughout population centers, so that workers do not have to commute more than a couple of miles. The telecommuter works in a real office but accesses the company network across the internet using a VPN just as in traditional telecommuting. Telecommuting 2.0 has the additional cost since the company will have to lease office space for the employee, but companies already pay for office space and network infrastructure in traditional office environments. The continuing increases in fuel costs are making telecommuting (either version 1.0 or 2.0) more and more attractive for companies and workers alike.