March 13, 2001, 12:43 PM — Telecommuting is becoming the de facto way of doing business in many organizations. Considering its many advantages for both employees and employers, this is not surprising. Employees get to operate under a more flexible work schedule, must endure no commute hassles, and can be more productive with fewer interruptions. From the business side, the major benefits include hiring from a wider range of candidates, saving dollars in office space costs when telecommuters use shared offices, and, of course, enjoying improved employee productivity and job satisfaction.
But the world of telecommuting isn't all glowing positives. To make it work, both managers and employees need to commit to an extra effort on the communication front, and provide a broader range of support and workflow options. Without constant face-to-face interactions, working relationships can be much more difficult to foster and maintain.
In the best possible scenario, your company will have the time and resources to build a detailed plan for launching a large-scale telecommuting effort. After all, before taking the telecommuting plunge, many decisions must be made and policies must be designed. Try to set up a task force or find someone with telecommuting experience to lead the charge in creating your telecommuting policies and procedures document.
