• This column is Part Two in a series.
Since I co-wrote a telecommuting plan many years ago, a new term has appeared: TeleWork. Some experts argue that “telework” is more accurate than “telecommuting,” as it describes the act of working, while telecommuting emphasizes the act of commuting.
That might be good for others, but we live in and around Tracy, and the fact of the matter is, we commute. And we commute a lot. So, for this series, I believe the word “telecommute” is more accurate for our particular situation, even though I might insert “telework” occasionally just to keep current.
Who can telecommute?
If your work day is typical of what was described in Part 1 of this series — that is, you spend most of the day on the phone, on the computer, designing, researching or in meetings — you can telecommute one, two or more days per week.
The ideal telecommuter is someone who can work independently and is not easily distracted by the need to wash clothes, mow the lawn or play with the dog. For that person, the telecommute day can productively be used to think, catch up on writing, place calls to prospective clients or attend meetings anywhere in the world.
Where can you telecommute?
In the old days, a telecommuter had two choices of work location: Home or a telecommute center. For various reasons, telecommute centers never really took off, so the vast majority of original telecommuters worked from home using a telephone and a yellow pad. Yes, the concept of telecommuting has been around for a long time.
These days, technology is such that with a cell phone, laptop computer and Wi-Fi Internet connection, a person can telecommute effectively from virtually anywhere, including hotels, restaurants, airports, trains or the wilds of Montana.
In Tracy, I have connected to the Internet via excellent Wi-Fi connections at McDonalds, Barnes & Noble and Starbucks. In fact, since I have been working at home full-time, there have been times when a trip to Barnes & Noble to work has been a sanity and marriage saver.
Telecommuting’s benefits
Although many of the benefits listed below focus on the telecommuter (you!), please don’t misunderstand: Telecommuting should not be thought of solely as a privilege for the employee. Instead it should be considered an alternative workplace that has benefits for both the employee and the employer.
Save money
One of the most easily definable cost savings for the telecommuter is the money you can save on gas. As gas prices keep getting higher and higher, the less you drive your car, the more you save.
Let’s look at some typical gas costs and savings.
My friend Clint Wadsworth drives from Manteca to Berkeley every day. Clint’s drive is about 150 miles per day round-trip. He drives his pickup, which gets about 15 miles per gallon (not unusual for a commuter with an SUV). At the time of this writing, the Chevron off of Highway 205 was selling gas at about $3.25 per gallon.
Let’s do some calculations based on Clint’s typical work week. Get your calculator out and check my math in the box at left. (By the way, Clint has a job that qualifies him to telecommute.)
I calculate that Clint spends about $8,125 per year on gas, assuming a 50-week work year. Yikes!
If Clint were to telecommute one day per week, he would save $32.50 per week or about $1,625 per year, assuming a 50-week work year. If he were to telecommute two days per week, double the savings to $3,250 per year. That works out to a monthly savings of about $135 to $270 per month. That is quite a chunk of change to invest in an IRA rather than global warming.
Save time
Looking at an even more valuable commodity, Clint can save time by telecommuting. Clint tells me that he spends about an hour and a half getting to work and the same amount of time getting home. He does this by starting his day at 4 a.m. and leaving work at 2 p.m. If he left during the peak of rush hour, that time could easily stretch to two hours or more. Believe me, I know.
Using his 1.5 hour estimate, the time Clint saves in transit by telecommuting one day per week is about three hours per week, or 150 hours per year. Those 150 hours mean six full days are now available for Clint to be with his family or devote extra time to working for his boss. If he were to telecommute two days per week, that savings would double to 300 hours per year, or 12 full days: A bit of his life regained.
Over the course of 20 years, Clint regains 3,000 to 6,000 hours of his life and saves $32,500 to $65,000 in gas (assuming $3.25 is the max price, but we all know that isn’t going to happen). Imagine how much you could save by telecommuting three or four days per week, or the whole week!
Other benefits
The above are just the “hard” calculations. What about the “soft” benefits? How often do you find yourself needlessly passing a slower vehicle and cursing at them (and they back at you)? How often do you find yourself in gridlock and stressed to the max because you are going to be late for work or a meeting? How many accidents happen in a typical day on I-205 or I-580?
One or two days per week telecommuting reduces the risks, and studies have shown that a telecommuter is less stressed, feels happier, and works harder.
That is where your employer reaps the benefits, and more.
From a state and local government perspective, fewer cars on the road means less need to build or expand roads. Fewer cars being driven means less pollution in the air — which means a better environment and a happier Al Gore. Telecommuters may go out to lunch near home, helping to contribute to Tracy’s local economy.
Long-range pessimists are encouraging telecommuting due to the unfortunate possibility that an event could prevent people from getting together in a single workplace.
The events of Sept. 11, 2001, decimated entire companies. Because of that day, many companies now understand the benefit of geographically dispersing employees. It is very hard for terrorism to reach everyone when they are scattered.
The Internet is very robust. That September morning, I worked (from home) with folks at Columbia University in New York to provide them with Internet-based telephony and videoconferencing via our gateway in Berkeley. Columbia was online and operational when others were down.
If a pandemic like the avian flu develops — and many experts predict it will — then working from home allows the company to stay afloat and governments to keep running, while saving lives by limiting the spread of the virus.
What are the downsides?
From the employees’ perspective, there is the fear that their career potential will be negatively impacted if they are away from the office. Unfortunately, this may be a valid concern (see below). They also fear isolation and can miss the camaraderie at work (this is why telecommuting one to two days per week is a nice, balanced approach to start).
When I started telecommuting, there were times when I did get a bit lonely, and I am the type of person who enjoys being alone. However, thanks to videoconferencing, when the lonely bug struck, I simply connected by video to the office.
I was “virtually” there. I could hear the cubicle chatter and see people walk by my cube. Occasionally, someone would wave to me or come into the cubicle to chat. It is very easy to set up a videoconferencing system by a water cooler or in a break room to encourage interaction with remote personnel.
From the employer’s perspective, the old-fashioned bosses (OFB), many of whom are still working and teaching young future bosses (YFB) their values, want to see their employees “hard at work” in their cubicles. The OFB thinks that if an employee is not there, he or she is not working. The OFB can also fear the loss of control over the remote employee’s work. They like to have their employees close at hand. Word to YFBs: Telecommuting is good.
There may be costs involved, such as support, equipment or Internet connectivity.
There is also the need to develop and deliver training to both the employee and employer. The OFB or YFB must work with the employee to set specific goals to measure the telecommuters’ effectiveness.
In Part Three of this series, we will take a look at what the employer and employee must do to make the telecommuting experience a positive one.
Until then, give telecommuting a try: Stay home one day and work!
• Mike Pihlman lives in Tracy and has two blogs — one called YeOldeTechy and the other, TracyReaderDad. He can be reached at mike@telbitconsulting.com or www.telbitconsulting.com.
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