Telecommunting at work Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Telecommunting at work - Research Paper Example However, not all potential workers are willing to travel every day to work and this is why several people have decided to work from home instead. It helps that technology has been developed in such a way that work can be delivered even without â€Å"physical proximity† of the worker to his/her workplace (Pilskin, 1997). The practice of telecommuting has become even more of a trend because of the popularity of electronic data mode of communication (Davies et al., 1996). However, despite the advantages of telecommuting, the same does not come without its own share of disadvantages as well. This is what this paper seeks to determine, as well as the way telecommuting works and how it is being managed. The Advantages of Telecommuting for the Employee Harpaz (2002) has determined some of the advantages of telecommuting for employees. It must be noted that there are advantages and disadvantages of telecommuting for the employees and the company that supports such a practice. And it t urns out that some of the pros and cons for the employee may not coincide with that of the company. The following paragraphs will illustrate this point, starting with the advantages of telecommuting for the telecommuters themselves. According to Harpaz (2002), there are seven advantages felt or experienced by the telecommuter by working in the comforts of his/her own home. These are 1) â€Å"autonomy/ independence† because obviously, since the employee is not being supervised, there is an increased chance that he/she would be more productive due to the increased level of responsibilities expected of the said employee. 2) â€Å"Flexible working hours† is a self-explanatory advantage because the telecommuter has more freedom to take on the job either in the evening or at night and there is the increased time to balance tasks that are not within the sphere of work, 3) â€Å"Improved time management† is another advantage, Because of telecommuting, the telecommuter i s less prone to getting distracted (by other employees for instance). 4) â€Å"More efficient management of free time† because the telecommuter can balance his/her time more effectively and efficiently. Time can be set aside for taking up a hobby or other activities not related to work. 5) â€Å"Savings in travel time and expenses† because the telecommuter need not spend money to travel to and from the workplace. The company itself need not also spend for the employee’s travel expenses. 6) â€Å"Flexibility in caring for family members† is related to the previous advantages mentioned. Because of the time saved from being distracted and from traveling to and from the workplace, the employee can instead, use this time for his/ her responsibility and finally, the last point, 7) â€Å"professional flexibility.† The employee is given more freedom to pursue other interests or even another job. The Advantages of Telecommuting for the Firm The company itse lf that encourages telecommuting also experiences a number of advantages as well. One of these is the decreases in â€Å"operating expenses.† For instance, instead of spending a considerable amount of financial resources on real estate (for office space), the company can instead channel their resources