The concept of the workplace has changed beyond recognition in this age of advanced telecommunication and cross border workforces. We look at long distance work, also called teleworking or telecommuting in a series of two articles. In the first of the two, we take a look at what it is and the value it brings.
The idea behind it
The term teleworking or telecommuting was invented by Jack Nilles to describe a work arrangement whereby employees don’t have to be physically present at an official place of work at all times.
Telecommuting allows people to work from a location of their choice, usually their home. A telecommuting schedule may range from several days a week to once a month, depending on the employer’s requirement.
Place no bar
Teleworking, in particular, eliminates the need to travel on official work, by using advanced telecommunication devices to bridge the physical distance. Since this is dependent on the availability of phone or video conferencing facilities, teleworkers might work from a telework center at certain times.
Interestingly, telecommuting can happen in non traditional work settings as well – as example is inviting a customer for a cup of coffee and discussing a bit of business on the side! Working at the clients’ office is another. In fact, this is also called ‘distributed work’.
Win-win for both
Both teleworking and telecommuting offer several benefits both to the workers and the companies that employ them.
For employers, the most obvious advantage is reduced overheads especially in terms of cost of space. The use of telecommuting workers has also helped increase employee productivity, since there is no wastage of time on account of being stuck in traffic jams. It has also been seen that telecommuters are happier, given that they have more family time and feel less stressed out with their flexible work arrangements.
Interestingly, telecommuting has given rise to outsourcing of business processes in a big way – companies can either employ telecommuting staff from low cost locations, or offer their services to other companies in high cost regions. Global companies in particular can also operate round the clock by using telecommuters across various time zones to provide uninterrupted service. An example would be the customer care help desks of telecom companies.
Companies can also retain valued staff members even if they move to another location.
For the workers themselves, the option to work from “away” helps to improve quality of life, and opens up many more options of employment.
Opportunities of employment have opened up for persons with special needs – the disabled, the retired or women with small children to care for, can all choose to pursue a career by telecommuting or teleworking.
Last but not least, telecommuting saves the earth gallons and gallons of automotive fuel and keeps the air that much cleaner.
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Why the rush to write? After reading this article, my gut feeling was that Hans and Teri Rotter were the victims of a conspiratorial plot to oust them. Mr. Rotter was in the hospital for a serious heart condition. Rather than postpone the board meeting to allow him the opportunity to explain his actions, the members of the Alpine Board decided to go ahead and hold the meeting with only Mrs. Rotter present. Rather than sit through all the accusations against her husband, Mrs. Rotter left the board meeting before it ended. The Rotter?s daughter and son-in-law were installed as the new managers of Alpine that night. Immediately after the meeting ended, all the locks to Alpine Village were changed. It was, for all intents and purposes, a nice and tidy ?take over.? Was not the writer of this article, Mr. Green, aware of the above circumstances? In Mr. Green?s article he stated that the Rotters were not available for comment. This being the case, does Mr. Green think he is ethically justified in writing a smear piece on two individuals who for over 40 years have been stalwart leaders in the community, are well-loved and admired by everyone whose lives they?ve touched? Why the rush to write?.to print such a ?one-sided? article? Could not Mr. Green have waited a few days until Mr. Rotter returned home from the hospital and given time to digest the events that had just transpired before making any statements or comments? After all, the Rotters were the ?face of Alpine Village? and deserved better treatment and consideration before this rush-to-judgment article was written. As far as I?m concerned, Alpine Village will not be the same without Hans and Teri Rotter. They were one of the main reasons why people frequented Alpine from far and near. The ever gracious ?Aunty Teri? as she is affectionately called, has a place in all our hearts. This couple is stellar. Their sense of ethics and integrity are irreproachable. They were an extremely effective and trustworthy team that managed Alpine for 40 years resulting in increased profits for Alpine. They were truly a force for good. In closing, I encourage Mr. Green and the Daily Breeze to right the wrong of this article by allowing the Rotters an opportunity to tell their side of the story and to print an article that is both fair and balanced so that we, the readers, will have the ?whole? story.Marion Hannemann, Torrance
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