Telecommuting and the Mobile Worker

Assignment 2: Telecommuting and the Mobile Worker

CIS 336 Enterprise Architecture

Telecommute is to work at home via phone or on a computer using a network connection. Telecommuting allows individuals whose jobs can be conducted away from the office to do so remotely from any location (Telecommute). Telecommuting is used by companies whose employees rely on the Internet, computers, and phones to complete tasks. With today’s technology, your work can be done virtually anywhere with wireless access. Employers can offer virtual access to work servers from remote locations (TACIR, 2008). Telecommuting offers several benefits to employers, employees and their surrounding communities. employees are able to cut gasoline costs and mileage on their personal vehicles. This is a huge impact to congestion on the roads and air quality in those perspective communities. In addition to environmental benefits, TACIR states that human resource management studies have found that employees are at least as effective, if not more, in a home setting versus the office, improving employee morale and organizational productivity.

According to Global Workplace Analytics (2016), half of the US workforce holds a job that is compatible with telecommuting and roughly 20-25% of the workforce telecommutes frequently. These analyses also pointed out that 80% to 90% of the US workforce would like to telecommute on part time basis. Experts suggest two to three days a week working at home is good balance to collaborative work at the office. Employees are becoming more mobile. Since employees are not at their desks 50-60% of the time, most Fortune 1000 companies around the world are already revamping their office spaces.

Today’s employees see telecommuting as a way to save time and money. Those two factors improve the quality of their lives. Most telecommuters are 49-50 year old college graduate, non-union employee, and earn an annual salary of $58,000 (Global Workplace Analytics 2016). It is critical to separate the self-employed from the employee telecommuter for the purpose of understanding trends as they are moving in opposite directions of each other. According to Global Workplace Analytics (2016), roughly about 463,000 disabled employees regularly work from home. Non-exempt employees are less likely to work at home than salaried employees. Larger companies are more typical to allow telecommuting than smaller ones. Most non-union organizations are more likely to offer telecommuting than those with unions.

There are several areas that are impacted by telecommuting. Businesses will save billions a year in real estate, electricity, utilities, janitorial services, security, maintenance, and supplies. Absenteeism and turnover would be down, and productivity will go up. Consumers would qualify for home office tax breaks. In addition, consumers also will save money in transportation and work-related costs, cut child care and eldercare costs. As far as energy conservation, telecommuting will reduce the effects of greenhouse gases. It would also reduce wear and tear on roads and highways; saving millions in highway repairs. Less traffic cuts down on accidents, traffic-related injuries, and fatalities. Among disabled workers, after paid time off, telecommuting is the most wanted benefit among workers with disabilities. Telecommuting can be a valuable benefit for many professionals with disabilities. Being able to work from home is necessary; rather to accommodate a disability or lack of accessible transportation. Rural residents and military families find telecommuting as a solution to their special needs; especially when their care for disable children (Otto, 2013).

Telecommuting strengthens pandemic and disaster preparedness. It also ensures stability of operations in the event of a disaster. In contrast to 28% of non-telecommuters, more than half of telecommuters say they could continue to work in the event of a disaster. Businesses and organizations rely on telecommuting to ensure stability of operations in the event of a disaster. Due to history of disaster and unforeseen threats, federal workers are required to telecommute to the maximum amount possible. Bird flu, terrorism, roadway problems, and weather-related disasters are all issues that can be mitigated with telecommuting. A dispersed workforce means there is no “9-11” targets to attack. In the event of an attack or disaster, less people will be affected, economic stability will be maintained, and continuity of operations is guaranteed. In the event of a disaster, IT infrastructure changes may be necessary. Employers will need address and be able to access their systems, software, and data that support and improve telework efficiency for office and traveling employees. Companies need to address remote technical support issues and other off-the-shelf solutions (Global Workplace Analytics, 2016)

There are some advantages of telecommuting from an IT manager’s point of view. The first advantage is Telecommuting reduces unscheduled absences. Unscheduled absences cost employer’s around $1,800 a year per employee. Flexible hours allow telecommuters to take care of personal business or schedule appointments without losing a full day of work. Most telecommuters typically continue to work when they are under the weather or sick. Telecommuting also increases productivity. According to GlobalWorkplaceAnalytics.com (2016), Best Buy, British Telecom, and Dow Chemical show that teleworkers are 35-40% more productive. American Express reported workers produced 43% more work than those who worked in the office. Telecommuting saves employers money. Full-time telecommuting can save companies up to $37,000 per employee a year. For example, Alpine Access Remote Agents closed 30% more sales than agents in the office.  Customer complaints decreased by 90% while turnover decreased by 88%.

On the other hand, some there are disadvantages of telecommuting from an IT manager’s point of view too. There are some security issues when dealing with telecommuters. As a manager, I believe there is no problem with data security. However, security issues must still be addressed. I would be more concerned with the occasional work that is taken out of the office by traditional employees who lack the tools, training, and technologies that telecommuters receive. Security training should be mandatory for all employees (Global Workplace Analytics, 2016). Another disadvantage is that co-workers can become jealous. Employees need to understand why they were or were not chosen for telework. Employees should see telework as a benefit that is earned, not given. The selection process should be uniform. Telecommuting is not for everyone. Working via telephone, email, instant messaging is a solution for some and an issue for others. Employees who telecommute must also maintain regular face-to-face meetings with their traditional co-workers and managers. They should be comfortable with technology or they would need to seek technical support remotely. Occasional telecommuting may be the solution for those not comfortable with work from a home setting (Schindler, 2008). Unless they can schedule work hours around their children’s needs, working from home is not a substitute for daycare.

Teleworkers use a variety of media and devices; desktops, laptops, smartphones, and tablets. These devices are used to read and send email, access websites, review, edit, and share documents, and perform many other tasks. They are controlled by third party contractors, business partners, or vendor Therefore they are some effects of Bringing Your Own Device; BYOD. BYOD devices are used companies’ own network, telework and remote access. Virtual private networks, remote system control, and individual application access are some of the many ways for providing remote access. Sensitive information that is stored and sent and from BYOD devices needs to be protected at all times. If not, malicious parties can hack and alter information. An unauthorized release of sensitive information could damage, jeopardize, and harm the organization and individuals within. Understanding how to protect sensitive information accessed during teleworking can be confusing, however there are many ways in which information can be protected. Examples include protecting the physical security of the actual telework devices, encrypting files, and backing up information stored on your devices. Teleworkers should ensure that all the BYOD devices used for telework and remote access is applying the same security measures on their home networks as their perspective organizations.

In conclusion, telecommuting has become one of the fastest growing trends in the work force. However, some businesses are still hesitant to offer this option to their employees. To effective implement telecommuting in your organization, you will need strong management support, the right candidates, training, policies and procedures. With all this cross sectional data from multiple resources there is strong evidence that the benefits of telecommuting outweigh the costs. Benefits include increased productivity, financial savings, lower overhead costs, environmental improvements, quality of work life, better working environments, flexibility, and less stress for workers. However, telecommuting is not for everybody. There are drawbacks to telecommuting such as technological problems, security risks, and loss of personal interaction with coworkers. In spite of these drawbacks, the outcome propose that telecommuters have a high level of job satisfaction and productivity.

References

GlobalWorkplaceAnalytics.com. (2016). Latest Telecommuting Statistics. Retrieved from http://globalworkplaceanalytics.com/telecommuting-statistics

GlobalWorkplaceAnalytics.com. (2016). Telework Savings Potential. Retrieved from http://globalworkplaceanalytics.com/cut-oil

GlobalWorkplaceAnalytics.com. (2016). Pros and Cons. Retrieved from http://globalworkplaceanalytics.com/pros-cons

Otto, B. (2013). Telecommuting Is a Top Perk for Workers with Disabilities, Survey Says. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/barbara-otto/telecommuting-is-more-than-a-perk_b_3239553.html

Schindler, E. (2008). 17 Telecommuting Disadvantages. Retrieved from http://www.pcworld.com/article/156195/trouble_telecommuting.html

TACIR. (2008). Telecommuting Saving Energy and Promoting Progress. Available at https://www.tn.gov/assets/entities/tacir/attachments/telecommuting.pdf

Telecommute. (n.d.). Retrieved August 20, 2016, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/telecommute

U.S. Department of Commerce. (2016). User’s Guide to Telework and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Security. Retrieved from http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/drafts/800-114r1/sp800_114r1_draft.pdf

Bottom of Form