I’ve received a few emails over the last few weeks that have asked me what I like and don’t like about telecommuting.

I thought I’d answer this today since we just had a massive snowstorm with about a foot of snow.  One days like this, of course I LOVE the fact that my daily commute is ten seconds!

Here are a few things I enjoy about telecommuting:

Flexible Schedule
This is probably the number one thing telecommuters like about working at home.  Now, I still have to get my work done each day, but I don’t have someone standing over me.  That means I have to motivate myself.  But it also means that if I need to work at 8:00 at night, I can do that.  If I need to schedule a doctor or dentist appointment or whatever, it’s no biggie.

No Commute
This has become a huge issue for our family since gas prices have gone bonkers.  Granted, they’ve come down now, but the fact that I don’t spend near the amount of money on gasoline is awesome.

No Cubical Hell
You know all those loud and obnoxious cube dwellers?  I don’t have them now.

No Dress Code
I could probably sit around in my pj’s and work all day, but I don’t. Still, I wear a ratty old tee shirt and jeans and that is great for me.  No nylons!  No pumps!

Along with the upsides of telecommuting, however, are some negatives.  For instance:

Lonliness
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a writer and work best being alone.  However, even I, shy and introverted girl that I am get lonely sometimes.  That’s where going to lunch with my friends or using social networking sites like Twitter really help.

Reduced Pay
Not all jobs offer reduced pay just because you work from home.  I chose to write for a living which does pay less than my office job.  Some telecommuting jobs pay less but offer more in the way of flexibility.

Out of the Loop
With technology today it’s easy to keep in touch with what’s going on in the office.  But you will lose something by not being there.  When you sit right next to someone, you’re able to overhear things and find out information very quickly.

Questions About Workload
Some telecommuters I know feel the need to justify the work they do because they are constantly being looked at very closely by their manager.  There is still a perception that telecommuters don’t do as much as the regular office staff.  However, this attitude is changing.

All in all?  I wouldn’t trade it!  The upsides more than make up for any negative aspects.  Especially when I’m looking out my window at a foot of snow…..

Post from: Blisstree

What’s It Really Like to Telecommute?

“Small companies are embracing telecommuting now more than ever, says Mike Williams of the Atlanta-based Clean Air Campaign. A survey this year indicated about 12% of the workers at companies with 21 to 100 employees sometimes telecommute.”

One advantage smaller businesses have over other types of business is less red tape.  In a larger firm, rules that are meant to help bring order to their employees can sometimes mean it limits them as well.  In smaller firms, there is also a more personalized work environment.  People know each other a little better, and can trust that the telecommuter will indeed be working when they say they are.

I was interested about this information and took an informal (and completely unscientific) study of my own.  One of my friends that telecommutes one day a week works for a firm with over 10,000 people.  Two more of my friends that telecommute are at smaller companies, with less than 100 employees.  When I was at my last job, we had 25 employees and my boss was madly mistrustful about telecommuting. 

Let me hear from you.  Do you telecommute?  And if so, what size firm do you work for?

Post from: Blisstree

Want to Telecommute? Work for a Smaller Firm

Her kids are on Spring Break, yet she must soldier on with her job:

The rest of the day — the zoo and lunch and the playing — were interspersed with a constant checking of e-mail (thank you Jesus and Steve Jobs for the iPhone). In line at the grocery, I answered one query about my job title and another about where I went to college while the boys put the groceries on the counter so we could check out.

I made work-related phone calls while they played outside. At one point, Charlie came in to go potty and I had to tell a colleague that I would need to call her back because we were having a little bit of a poop incident.

Working from home at an actual desk is so Web 1.5.

Post from: Blisstree

The new virtual office