Introduction

Telecommuting is a kind of arrangement or process of work by which a staff can operate from faraway places that are distant from his or her work desk. For instance, work from home is the most common way to depict the meaning of telecommuting. Such kind of work culture plays a key role in providing enhanced freedom at work with respect to work hours or location on a whole. In the current scenario, there exists a major discussion on whether work from home should be promoted or work from own desks (Zhu 2012). As per studies, approximately 66% of employees have shown better productivity who have been telecommuting. There are both advantages and disadvantages of workplace styles. For instance, telecommuting minimizes the collaboration level betwixt subordinates in a workplace. However, there also prevails an advantage of recent technological updating of persons operating from home.

Thesis Statement

Telecommuting provides higher morale and productivity as the employees can operate in a quiet and hassle free state, spending less money on costs of commuting and enabling the employer to save cost on utilities. However, many believe that telecommuting lowers the productivity of employee and productivity.

Challenges of telecommuting

There exists a question as whether collaboration is one of the primary drawbacks to telecommute. Nevertheless, there are ways by which persons can interact and collaborate with employees through cloud applications and brain storming. It can also be stated that telecommuting has become the most appropriate method of hiring the best employees and provide them the accessibility to operate from anywhere around the globe, thereby saving real estate costs as well. Moreover, telecommuting has become a challenge with the western culture as there will be lesser rush during work hours and people will not argue for parking issues. Telecommuting can become the future movement that shall permit additional people to operate from their respective offices. Various people witness telecommuting as a means to be closer to their houses or permit them to be interlinked with their organizations whilst operating outside (Campbell 2015). While telecommuting may function for few people, it is not built for everyone. However, telecommuting is not always on the brighter side. There are various drawbacks that are not considered by various people. In other words, when accounting for telecommuting, the benefits fall for both the employees and the employer but the same can also be stated for the drawbacks. The time saved because of telecommuting will provide benefit to the families of the employee as he will get additional time to spend the same (Clark, Karau & Michalisin 2012).

Efficient workforce

The primary benefit to the workforce is the convenience of setting own time in the sense that people who telecommute can operate whenever they wish. Setting own hours can be efficient but they cannot attain the advantage of this facility because few people may be more creative or productive at night or other times when the office hours are closed (Campbell 2015). Therefore, by telecommuting, some people might not be able to attain the maximum possible advantage. Further, families are also free to shift from one location to another and not worry about searching for new jobs. Nevertheless, few may argue that not interacting physically with others at work can create a lack of social skills but in reality, these are practiced and utilized at houses in interactions betwixt family members.

The minimization of presence of resources in the sense that telecommuting plays a key role in minimizing the accessibility to resources that can only be found at the office space only. For instance, a resource that cannot be found in a home like accounting records can only be accessed from office spaces. Hence, depending upon the work one person has, it can be significant to access these archives to attain so that information can be gathered.

Assist the environment

Further, telecommuting is very significant for people with children as they can stay at homes with their children while functioning that eradicates the expenses of a babysitter. Nevertheless, they can stay at their houses and raise their child together with work. This segment of telecommuting has assisted various women who had to leave their jobs due to their children. Pollution and traffic can also be dramatically decreased with the assistance of telecommuting. Moreover, a massive part of the world pollution is created due to vehicles and additionally, slow moving vehicles pollute the most. Therefore, telecommuting decreases the requirement to commute at work and is the outcome of lesser populated roads. Further, tax dollars and natural resources can also be saved as there will be no requirement of expanding roads to accumulate for the evening and morning commute.

Another advantage is that they are not required to take a time off from their respective work or ask permission for a leave so that they can attend the events of their children. There are times when telecommuters can get their load of work completed before due date and that allows them free time to spend the same with their families. Telecommuters who mitigate obstacles of an office surrounding are happier than others, thereby enhancing the possibilities of work done in a single day. Further, maximum time is spent on obsolete affairs who commute to work in a traditional way. With such saved time, people’s stress levels will decline as well (Clark, Karau & Michalisin 2012). Further, employers also require altering their policies and permitting more telecommuting. However, while all these segments may have a positive impact on the society, they may not be attractive for all. In other words, there are drawbacks that businesses are required to deal in an effective way. Hence, employees must also be aware of such drawbacks before adopting such type of employment. In other words, it can cause a significant danger to over-eat, over-work, and under-exercise. These particular symptoms can exist due to improper eating habits when one is continuously sitting for hours and craving for food only. Hence, the risk of overeating and overworking must not be underestimated and must be taken into consideration both by the employers and the telecommuters on a whole.

Conclusion

Organizations account for assisting the system of telecommuting but in turn have to encounter various challenges as well. Even though job satisfaction and productivity can be enhanced through telecommuting, yet reduced personal interaction betwixt the people can create serious problems that can override the advantages offered by telecommuting. Moreover, altering an individual’s workplace from a traditional office to any alternate place or home is more likely to change the quality, the frequency, and by explanation, the interaction modality that an employee has with other staff members of the organization. Hence, telecommuting has the power to deteriorate the quality and bond of a manager-subordinate interconnection. Hence, both drawbacks and benefits must be considered on a whole.

References

Campbell, K. M. (2015). Flexible work schedules, virtual work programs, and employee productivity (Order No. 3700954). Available from ProQuest One Business. (1680832770). Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/flexible-work-schedules-virtual-programs-employee/docview/1680832770/se-2?accountid=30552

Clark, L. A., Karau, S. J., & Michalisin, M. D. (2012). Telecommuting attitudes and the ‘big five’ personality dimensions. Journal of Management Policy and Practice, 13(3), 31-46. Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/telecommuting-attitudes-big-five-personality/docview/1021380207/se-2?accountid=30552

Zhu, P. (2012). Are telecommuting and personal travel complements or substitutes? The Annals of Regional Science, 48(2), 619-639. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00168-011-0460-6