Office (and Beanbag) Sharing Among Strangers

Office (and Beanbag) Sharing Among Strangers

By JANE HODGES
Telecommuters, entrepreneurs, and the self-employed all grapple with the logistical challenges of working alone. At home, workers face isolation and domestic distraction. At the corner coffee shop offering free Wi-Fi, there's insufficient privacy, too few electrical outlets and the nuisance of latte orders shouted out through the day.

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Dan Picasso
.A growing number of workers face these hassles every day. As of November 2009, there were nine million self-employed workers in the U.S., according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Meanwhile, the volume of workers telecommuting at least once a month for employers grew 17% between 2006 and 2008, to 33.7 million workers, according to WorldatWork, a human-resources research firm in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Telecommuting has grown more widespread among full-time workers due to technology advances and corporate efforts to drive down overhead by lowering real-estate costs, says Cindy Auten, general manager of Telework Exchange, a telecommuting research organization in Alexandria, Va. "Organizations are starting to see the benefits of telecommuting for the bottom line," Ms. Auten says. "The ability to work offsite is even a recruitment tool."

For those who lack a conventional office, shared, or "coworking," spaces promise to solve some of the dilemmas of working alone. These facilities provide environments where professional nomads can work in relative quiet and even socialize around the coffee pot, or copier.

Just how well could we "cowork"? To find out, we took laptop and cellphone to four facilities in four cities, Office Nomads in Seattle; Souk in Portland, Ore.; The Coop in Chicago; and New Work City in Manhattan. All four are located in popular neighborhoods near public transit.

The facilities offered a variety of pricing plans ranging from day rates for the noncommittal to full-time 24-hour access memberships. Aside from solo workstations, they all also offered free high-speed Internet connections, free coffee, whiteboards and areas (with beanbag chairs) for small group brainstorming sessions, restrooms, lockers or storage, and light office amenities such as copiers.

Reservations weren't required at any of the spaces, but were available at Souk and are forthcoming at New Work City.

All the facilities belonged to the "Coworking Visa" program, which lets members in participating coworking spaces use partner spaces elsewhere when traveling.

All also offered first-come/first-serve use of conference rooms for quick private chats or calls. At Souk, you could pay to reserve conference rooms for formal meetings or longer uses.

The Coop, located in Chicago's West Loop area, was the smallest space we tested, with desk-top spaces pushed up against one another without dividers.

We visited twice during the week—on a Wednesday and Thursday—and appreciated that a few workers—an accountant and a consultant—greeted us. Working in a formal office motivated us more to work and we appreciated the comfy black leather chairs and good lighting. But the lack of barriers between desks meant we could see coworkers' computer screens, and vice versa.

We were unsure of phone etiquette, but learned it was acceptable to make calls in the open when coworkers conducted job interviews and client meetings over the phone. While slightly distracting, the open-air calls were no worse than in a conventional office.

Manhattan's New Work City, on the edge of SoHo, was on the compact side. The space had a 20-worker capacity and didn't take reservations when we called, but the owner said a reservation systems is in the works. After check-in, we snagged one of the few remaining spots. We appreciated that our work space was spacious and that coworkers seemed industrious. Some of the office denizens appeared familiar with one another and a bulletin board posted community news, but we didn't feel pressured to socialize.

Both coworking spaces we tried in the techie Northwest were bigger. Seattle's Office Nomads, located in youthful and artistic Capitol Hill, can accommodate several dozen workers with its mix of closed-door offices, open desks and lounge areas. Office Nomads didn't require a reservation and won't charge for the first visit. Office Nomads was well-lit, with abundant plugs and desk options.

Coworkers—as well as the site's founders—introduced themselves and offered help. We weren't sure if we visited on a particularly friendly day or if this was the norm. Office Nomads appeared to place an emphasis on creating a community for its members; there was a "State of the Nomads" monthly meeting at midday. A bulletin board listed in-house social options as well as visiting speakers slated to appear, and also featured quirky photos and fun facts about members. Office Nomads also offered the most extensive weekday hours, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

We made a reservation to use Souk, on the edge of Portland's Pearl District and Chinatown, for a Thursday. We were surprised at how quiet the space was, with less than 15 workers inhabiting a space sufficient for several dozen more. The friendly office manager checked us in, gave us a tour, and even made us an Americano coffee from the office cappuccino maker.

Souk offered the widest variety of work-space configurations. Full-time members could use enclosed offices, but less-frequent coworkers could choose from rolling desks in a large open room, a communal work table, or first-come/first-serve semi-private rooms with walls and sliding doors. We liked that rolling desks in the open room could be moved at coworkers' discretion—toward a wall for privacy, near a partner for collaboration. The open room also offered lightweight partitions for makeshift privacy. We chose a semi-private room. Noise was minimal, but we overheard some consultants and nonprofit sector types talking about work projects. Abstract art adorned the brick walls and furnishings included Herman Miller chairs and modern desks.

All in all, we liked coworking spaces. There were a few hitches, however. We needed to spend considerable time on the phone and felt uncomfortable discussing confidential matters publicly or hogging conference rooms. The other complication is that while coworking spaces guarantee and deliver a baseline of services, they also offer lots of extras based on loose rules. For instance, sometimes the facilities stay open later than posted hours and sometimes they don't, or conference rooms aren't always available.

For those of us with tight deadlines or plan-ahead mentalities, this can be stressful. But considering how cheap and flexible coworking is relative to a full-time lease—and the social perks—we don't have problems with this unpredictability.

—Lori Barrett in Chicago and Shivani Vora in New York contributed to this article.
COMPANY COST HOURS AND VIBE COMMENT
Office Nomads

Seattle

(officenomads.com)
First visit free ;
$25/day drop-in;
three visits/month, $50; $375/month Monday-Friday access;
$475/month 24/7 access 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon. to Fri. Mix of professionals in their 20s to 40s, friendly staff, irreverent bulletin board touts full-time members' work and hobbies, after-hours events. Staffers were welcoming but not cloying. Background noise was low. We felt funny making calls in the open. Well lit, with variety of work spaces.
Souk

Portland, Ore.

(soukllc.com)
$35/day;
$249/month for 80 hours weekday usage;
$275/month for 24-hour access 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Mon. to Fri. Large, quiet space with mix of work space types (open, private) and conference rooms but no task lighting; tech and nonprofit executives were present. Friendly office manager made us espresso and took interest in us and our work; large variety of work-space types; single-day users aren't allowed in on Fridays; street parking difficult.
New Work City

New York

(nwcny.com)
First visit free; $20-$25 per day for drop-in; $50/month for 3 visits/month; $150/month (2 days/week); $200/month (3 days/week); $500/month for 24-hour access 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Mon.-Fri. Maximum 20 workers in the space, a brightly lit room with banks of spacious desks. Quiet, productive environment used by techies, entrepreneurs. Reservation system forthcoming, lockers may be available for less-frequent members, office is sometimes open until 8 p.m. (but no guarantees), after-hours events.

The Coop

Chicago

(coworkchicago.com)
$20/day; $90/week; $300/month 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Mon.-Fri., with extended hours for monthly users. Some coworkers were service professionals (accountants, consultants). Space had nice mix of overhead and natural light. No private space for phone calls. Desks faced one another, permitting views of others' computer screens. Noise level was similar to a "regular" office. 24-hour access plan forthcoming.

.
Copyright 2009 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Telecommuting: The Wave of the Future

Telecommuting: The Wave of the Future

I work from home, but I am not alone. Today, there is a rapidly growing
number of Americans who are discovering the joys and comforts of being
able to work from home. In fact, many companies are offering their
employees the incentive to work from home while giving them health
benefits and other incentives such as gym memberships, childcare expenses,
company cars and more.

Telecommuting is not for everyone, however. In certain situations,
people find that they are not able to make telecommuting work to their
advantage because they lack the structure and discipline that is required
for such a business venture. Yes, it is true that when you work from home,
it gives you more flexibility to wake up when you want to in the morning
and lounge around in your night clothes all day if you want to. As long
as you get the work done and are doing a quality job, no one cares what
you look like because no one can see you. It's not like an office job
where you have to worry about getting up at a certain time in the morning
so that you'll be able to beat the morning traffic to get to the office
on time. Additionally, many office jobs have a specific dress code, which
means that you may or may not have to take more time out of your
morning routine to pick out an outfit,do your hair, etc.

Telecommuting, in most cases, also saves employees and employers more
money than it would if they had an office. How is this? If you think about it,
when a business owner owns a business, they have the choice to rent out
an office building space. When you rent out an office space, you have to pay
a certain amount of money per month (or whatever the agreement is) to a
landlord; and this amount of money doesn't even include the amount of money
that you would have to pay for utilities such as water, sewer, electric,
telephone, cable/Internet and whatever else your particular business would
require.

When you work from home or telecommute, however, employers/business
owners typically wind up saving a significantly greater amount of money
because a) they can write part of their home off in their taxes and b) they are
saving money in all of the overhead that they would have, otherwise, had
to pay if they were renting out an office space. If employees or employers
ever need to meet, they can typically do so at a local coffee shop (provided
they live in the same area) or the employer and the employee can host a
teleconference using video software or by just using a telephone. If a
business owner needs to meet with a potential client, usually, the business
owner will travel to the client. In the event that the client wants to meet
up with the business owner, the business owner can rent out an office space
for the day or for a few hours.



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Telecommuting Work Can be the Good Business for You

Telecommuting Work Can be the Good Business for You

Telecommuting has not yet put its roots in the minds of people failing to clear off the unsought doubts. For optimists telecommuting is a way of refreshing their lives with some freedom and energy. For both these types of people telecommuting work will bring lots of benefits provided they have a head on their shoulders.

Working in a telecommuting environment is a whole new experience for a newcomer. The time that someone works is very much different to conventional type of a work place. A person who works at a work site is stuck to a time frame and is not supposed to look into personal matters within this time frame. Choosing the work hours will be up to the employee in the case of telecommuting. They can work at home or maybe in a telecommuting site which is located away from the work site. Employee can adjust their work according to their life style and family matters.

Only worrying factor on the employee’s side of telecommuting would be the little amount of money which they might have to spend on the communication medium. But this too will not be applicable in some companies where the company will provide the employees with the computers and the internet, sometimes even paying their telephone bills. A facility to log into the company’s internal network will make sure their communications are done regularly. The use of a group chat is a smart option.

Telecommuting work does not mean that the employee will permanently be linked to the company only by a communication medium. The days of work done at the workplace and at home can be split into preferred quantities. In that way the policies and the culture of the company will not leave the employees mindset.

Taking the pressure off the employees telecommuting will ensure that the worker will be relaxed. Getting the best output to a company from an employee could only be done provided that the stress levels of that person is in the limit of acceptance. Staying at home while you work will definitely take off the pressure and will lead to a peaceful mind, thus giving a better output to a company.

With all the benefits they gain many people seem to be happy with the idea of telecommuting. It could be annoying to wake up every day and travel in the same route to go to your work getting stuck in the traffic and starting your work with an agitated mind. After all it is about the job satisfaction more than the money.

Almost of the time, you will be in front of computer when it comes to telecommuting work. If you want to feel comfortable in doing your work, you must make sure that the condition around you is clean including your keyboard and computer. You can choose computer vacuum cleaner as your good option for cleaning your computer from dust. Besides the computer, you also need to clean around your workplace by using cannister vacuum cleaners for your comfort during doing your work.

Telecommuting and remote work is great, since you can avoid office politics

Telecommuting and remote work is great, since you can avoid office politics.

Telecommuting and remote work puts your job at risk, since you are out of the loop with office politics.

Which is true? At a time of unease about job security, is it risky for people to not be seeing your face every day? Our SmartPlanet colleague Vince Thompson just posted an interesting interview here at the site, in which Stephen Viscusi, author of Bulletproof Your Job: 4 Simple Strategies to Ride Out the Rough Times and Come Out On Top at Work, describes the interpersonal strategies that can help keep your job safe. Most importantly, Viscusi urges a highly personal relationship with your managers, best facilitated by being right there in the office, since layoffs and cutbacks tend to be highly emotional decisions.

As Viscusi put it: “bosses hate to fire people they know and like—but it is easy to fire even the best worker, if you know nothing about them as a person.”

And, in his interview with Andrew, he had one thing to say about telecommuting: “Guess what? Out of site out of mind!”

Does telecommuting put you out of sight, and therefore out of mind?

Back in July, we reported on an informal poll, conducted by VitalSmarts and the authors of Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High, which concluded that remote work relationships tend to be more problematic than when employees are able to interact face-to-face. Conversely, we also discussed another study by Cisco Systems that examined the productivity of 2,000 of its own employees and found remote teams and employees actually end up being more productive than their counterparts anchored into offices.

In addition, a study published by the American Psychological Association, which looked at 20 years of flexible work arrangements affecting 12,000 employees, concluded that telecommuting “has no straightforward, damaging effects on the quality of workplace relationships or perceived career prospects.” The study also stated that the main downside of telecommuting is “that it does seem to send coworker (but not supervisor) relationships in a harmful direction.” While “Some of the complexities of these consequences have yet to be explored, but the evidence and theory reviewed here suggest that they can be managed effectively through informed human resources policies.”

What Stephen Viscusi seems to be saying is it doesn’t matter how productive the arrangement is — when things tighten up and a manager needs to cut 10% of staff expenses, that manager is less likely to bring the axe down on people he or she likes — which are more likely to be the people that are physically present in the workplace every day.

Of course, there’s also an increasing likelihood that the boss is also a telecommuter, which tilts this dynamic toward fellow telecommuters, right?

With electronic communications and the need to lower overhead, telecommuting is only going to keep increasing as a workplace option. Telecommuting is a highly beneficial approach for both employers and employees alike, and any fears associated with potential dis-connectivity need to be addressed if a remote work strategy is going to function well.

The important takeaway here is that for their part, remote or telecommuting employees need to build quality interaction with managers into their routines. In addition, organizations need to actively facilitate greater interactivity between remote team members as well. There are a number of ways to accomplish this, such as hybrid schedules that involve both onsite and off-site work for employees within geographic range. For remote employees out of commuting range, social networking interaction may help maintain presence.

Ending Unfair Telecommuter Taxes

Ending Unfair Telecommuter Taxes
December 18th, 2009 (11:00am) Nicole Belson Goluboff (Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Nicole Goluboff. Goluboff, a lawyer and Advisory Board Member of the Telework Coalition, is the author of “The Law of Telecommuting,” “Telecommuting for Lawyers” and numerous articles on telework.)

The reasons for employers to decentralize workers are becoming harder and harder for businesses, employees and governments to ignore. Telework can help employers reduce costs, avoid job cuts and start hiring. It can help them minimize turnover, assure business continuity during emergencies and boost productivity. It can help employees save on commuting and achieve a better work/life balance. It can decrease traffic congestion, the cost of repairing and maintaining transportation systems, carbon emissions and the nation’s dependence on foreign oil.

However, despite these and other well-publicized benefits of telework, some states maintain a tax rule that frustrates employers and employees trying to use it. The rule — known as the “convenience of the employer” rule — imposes a heavy penalty on nonresidents who telecommute to in-state employers.

To assure that state tax authorities do not impede the growth of interstate telework arrangements, Congress must abolish the convenience rule.
How the “Convenience of the Employer” Rule Works

New York State is notorious for its exceptional drive to enforce the convenience rule. Under the rule there, if a nonresident of the state works for a New York firm and opts to telecommute sometimes — even for most of the year — New York will tax him on 100 percent of his salary: the wages he earns in New York plus the wages he earns in his home state. Because the employee’s home state can also tax the compensation he earns at home, he risks double state taxation for working off-site.

To protect their residents from double taxation, some states grant a credit for personal income taxes telecommuters pay the employer’s state on the salary earned at home. However, even telecommuters offered a credit risk being penalized. When a telecommuter’s state has a lower tax rate than the employer’s state, the telecommuter has to pay the steeper rate on the income he earns at home.

Similarly, telecommuters living in states with no income tax suffer because of the rule. Say a Florida resident telecommutes to his New York employer, traveling to New York on business only a few weeks a year. Although the employee chooses to live and do most of his work in a state with no personal income tax, he may nonetheless be forced to pay state income tax — to New York — on all of his Florida wages.

The additional state tax burden the convenience rule imposes can make telework too expensive for employees. The rule also creates tremendous confusion for them: Determining where they owe income tax if they telecommute — their own state, the company’s state, or both — can be a considerable challenge.

How Businesses Suffer

When employees cannot afford to telecommute, employers cannot tap the business benefits telework offers. In addition, just as employees can be confused about where they owe income taxes, businesses can be confused about where they have to withhold taxes. Compliance with the convenience rule can become so onerous for payroll departments that firms in convenience rule states may be forced to move out. For example, in 2008, a company reported to The New York Times that it was planning to leave New York because it was “blindsided” by the state’s enforcement of the rule (“Telecommuters Cry ‘Ouch’ to the Tax Gods“).

How States Suffer

The convenience rule threatens states where telecommuters live (or where would-be telecommuters live) with an unfair drain on their revenue. For example, if a telecommuter’s state does give him a credit for taxes he paid New York on wages he earned at home, the telecommuter’s state effectively shunts its own revenue to the Empire State. That revenue finances public services in New York (like police, fire and other emergency services), even though the telecommuter often works at home and depends on the services provided by the home state. States struggling with perilous budget deficits -– and with the decisions they have to make about which of their own programs to eliminate -– cannot afford to subsidize the programs in New York.

In addition, workers’ states can lose revenue because:

•Confused telecommuters may mistakenly conclude they owe taxes only in their employer’s state, not the home state;
•Confused employers may mistakenly conclude they must withhold only for their own state, not the states where their telecommuters live;
•Unemployed residents may remain jobless — and without taxable income — longer than necessary, because the convenience rule makes looking for work with remote employers unaffordable;
•Businesses in the home state may earn less taxable income when telecommuting residents are forced to cut their home state spending because the extra state tax bill for telecommuting shrinks the residents’ budgets;
•Businesses in the home state may earn less taxable income when residents who cannot afford the telecommuter tax must commute to their out-of-state jobs everyday and purchase more of the goods and services they need in the employer’s state than in the home state.
Even states that maintain a convenience rule suffer because of it. For example, by threatening the profitability of in-state companies and driving them away, the rule jeopardizes the states’ business income tax base.

The rule also threatens the states’ personal income tax base. In New York, because the rule applies only to employees who spend some days working inside New York, telecommuters can duck the tax penalty by staying out of New York entirely. They may decide, with their cost-wary employers, that they will telecommute full-time. Or, they may look for work in their home states. Either way, once a telecommuter leaves New York for good, New York can no longer tax any of his income. Further, New York’s stores, restaurants and other businesses lose his patronage.

The Federal Solution: The Telecommuter Tax Fairness Act

The Telecommuter Tax Fairness Act (H.R. 2600) is proposed federal legislation that would prohibit states from taxing nonresidents on the wages they earn when physically present in another state, removing the threat of double or excessive taxation for telecommuting across state lines.

The bill was introduced by Representatives Jim Himes (D-CT) and Frank Wolf (R-VA). It has support from a bi-partisan group of lawmakers representing states all around the country, including Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, Georgia, Massachusetts, Kansas, Illinois, Arizona, Washington State and even New York.

The bill also has endorsements from organizations advocating for telework, transportation, homeowners, taxpayers and small businesses. The telecommuter tax is a needless barrier to telework’s expansion. As Washington weighs how to create jobs, improve the country’s preparedness for pandemics and other emergencies, meet national transportation needs, slow climate change, strengthen America’s energy independence and help secure a prosperous future for both large and small businesses, it should demolish this barrier. The Telecommuter Tax Fairness Act would do just that -– without costing the federal government anything. It’s time to make this bill law.

Telecommuting combines the best of both worlds for many rural workers

Telecommuting combines the best of both worlds for many rural workers
by Jennifer Click

Telecommuting is gaining popularity in central Nebraska as people search for ways to combine a greater sense of family with big-city salaries.

With high-speed Internet access now widely available through many forms ─ DSL, wireless, cable, and fiber optics ─ central Nebraska has opportunities for workers never seen before. Telecommuters can reap the benefits of a rural lifestyle, including reduced housing costs, better student-teacher ratios, and a more relaxed way of life, without a loss of income.

“These things are available in rural America,” said Mike O’Dell, director of marketing and public relations for Pinpoint Communications. “We not only have a quality of life that is not available in big cities, but we have all the technology too.”

O’Dell, who drives from McCook to Pinpoint’s headquarters in Cambridge, can telecommute from home on days when weather makes driving hazardous. He is also attending grad school at Penn State University by Internet, and routinely sets up business meetings with colleagues in Lincoln, Omaha, Denver and Tennessee via the Internet.

How to choose a connected town
Eileen and Rod Golus, who live in the country north of Holdrege, found telecommuting allowed them to choose where they wanted to live. They moved to Phelps County in June after researching areas with Internet connectivity options. They now live halfway between Rod’s parents in Loup City, and Eileen’s parents in McCook so their two young boys can see grandparents more frequently.

Eileen telecommutes part-time as a contract worker for Active Money Management, a company based out of Phoenix that provides investment and accounting services for clients. Rod works full-time as a solution designer for ACI Worldwide Inc., a company that develops e-payment and electronic funds transfer software.

“I communicate on a daily basis with offices in England and all around the world in many different time zones,” he said. With fewer distractions from being in the office, he says he is more productive and has more time for family. He’s worked for ACI Worldwide since 1997, and when the company offered workers the chance to telecommute, he readily accepted.

The Goluses were still living in Omaha when Rod first began telecommuting, but soon looked into taking the opportunity to move closer to family. They had originally considered moving closer five or six years ago, but at that time a move would have meant changing jobs. Now Rod keeps seniority within his company, and has the added benefit of seeing more of his wife and two sons. And neither he nor the company feel there are any big negatives to the program.

“Virtually, there’s no difference between when I was working in the office connected to the local network there,” he said.

Fiber to the Home
Troy Stickels, marketing manager for Glenwood Communications based out of Blue Hill, said the opportunities for telecommuters are endless as technology expands the offerings for high-speed Internet.

“I don’t even think we’ve scratched the surface of it,” he said.

More companies like Cambridge Telephone Company are bringing the benefits of much higher bandwidth capabilities available from fiber optic cables into homes and businesses. Cambridge Telephone Company is busy this summer and fall with its Fiber to the Home Project, which is replacing aging copper wire with fiber optic cable throughout the town of Cambridge. Plans are for the project to be finished by the end of this year. With the higher speed of fiber optic cable, businesses who require the higher bandwidth can consider relocating to smaller towns such as Cambridge and Funk, which already has fiber to every home.

The best of both worlds
Cara Potter had worked out of an office in Lincoln as the director of state government affairs for the National Association of Chain Drug Stores when her mom, who lived in Friend, got sick. She approached the organization about moving to Friend and telecommuting.

“They were thrilled because it was a huge cost savings for them,” she said.

After working from home and losing her dining room table under a pile of paperwork, Potter opened an office in downtown Friend just minutes from her house. She covers the Association’s activities in Illinois, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Alabama and Mississippi, while still being very involved in her community. She flies out of Lincoln, Omaha, or Grand Island, and said the drive to the airport isn’t much longer than fighting traffic across town.

“This is the best of both worlds for me because I get to travel to meet lots of different people, but I can also live in my small town where I can walk out of my 800-square-foot office building downtown, walk across the street to get coffee, and walk home to feed my cat,” she said.

And with a flexible schedule and a background in politics, she can lend her expertise to community service projects in Friend, such as renovations to the town’s opera house.

The potential is huge
For others like Cheri Bromander of rural Eustis, telecommuting was a way to utilize her skills and contacts. After 20 years as a veterinarian technician, rural connectivity allowed her to work directly for Professional Veterinary Products, a veterinary supply company. Now, through a DSL phone line and a fax, she works with veterinarians in Pennsylvania, Alaska, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Oregon and Washington. Bromander is close enough to Eustis to get DSL, but others further out in the country are still waiting for the technology to reach them.

“The potential is huge for people out in these areas if we can get better technology,” she said.

When Kelly Kezeor left her lab work with the Red Cross in Omaha to move to Holdrege for her husband’s new job as a doctor with High Plains Clinic, she knew she would miss working for the Red Cross. But an idea they had talked about starting before she left soon morphed into a part-time job that she now completes from home in Holdrege.

Kelly sets up educational training for personnel that work with the Red Cross Blood Bank through the Nebraska Statewide Telehealth Network. In addition to giving presentations through a statewide satellite system from Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney, she develops PowerPoint presentations that participants can use on their own to expand Red Cross educational offerings.

“Being out here and still being able to keep in touch with everyone and work alongside everyone has been great,” she said.

All of these jobs didn’t exist in central Nebraska just a few years ago, but because of burgeoning technology, workers can now bring salaries from the big city back to rural America.

“We think that this gives us an opportunity to reverse the outmigration problem that we have,” O’Dell said.

Jennifer Chick is a regional reporter for the Kearney Hub and takes on freelance assignments for a variety of clients. She is a native of western Kansas, now living with her husband and two young children in Holdrege, Nebraska. You can contact her via email at tjchick@q.com.

Telecommuting: The Wave of the Future

Telecommuting: The Wave of the Future
Submitted By: Brenda Williams

I work from home, but I am not alone. Today, there is a rapidly growing number of Americans who are discovering the joys and comforts of being able to work from home. In fact, many companies are offering their employees the incentive to work from home while giving them health benefits and other incentives such as gym memberships, childcare expenses, company cars and more.

Telecommuting is not for everyone, however. In certain situations, people find that they are not able to make telecommuting work to their advantage because they lack the structure and discipline that is required for such a business venture. Yes, it is true that when you work from home, it gives you more flexibility to wake up when you want to in the morning and lounge around in your night clothes all day if you want to. As long as you get the work done and are doing a quality job, no one cares what you look like because no one can see you. It's not like an office job where you have to worry about getting up at a certain time in the morning so that you'll be able to beat the morning traffic to get to the office on time. Additionally, many office jobs have a specific dress code, which means that you may or may not have to take more time out of your morning routine to pick out an outfit, do your hair, etc.

Telecommuting, in most cases, also saves employees and employers more money than it would if they had an office. How is this? If you think about it, when a business owner owns a business, they have the choice to rent out an office building space. When you rent out an office space, you have to pay a certain amount of money per month (or whatever the agreement is) to a landlord; and this amount of money doesn't even include the amount of money that you would have to pay for utilities such as water, sewer, electric, telephone, cable/Internet and whatever else your particular business would require.

When you work from home or telecommute, however, employers/business owners typically wind up saving a significantly greater amount of money because a) they can write part of their home off in their taxes and b) they are saving money in all of the overhead that they would have, otherwise, had to pay if they were renting out an office space. If employees or employers ever need to meet, they can typically do so at a local coffee shop (provided they live in the same area) or the employer and the employee can host a teleconference using video software or by just using a telephone. If a business owner needs to meet with a potential client, usually, the business owner will travel to the client. In the event that the client wants to meet up with the business owner, the business owner can rent out an office space for the day or for a few hours.

10-Point Plan To Devalue Oil

10-Point Plan To Devalue Oil
SustainableBusiness.com News


A bipartisan alliance called Mobility Choice Coalition last week released a 10-point plan for a free market-oriented approach to expanding competition among US transportation modes.

The stated purpose of the Blueprint for Mobility Choice is to reduce oil's strategic value, and it is backed by several significant figures in US politics including Anne Korin, co-director of the Institute for Analysis of Global Security (IAGS); R. James Woolsey, former CIA director; Robert C. McFarlane, former National Security Advisor; and Cliff May, president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

The Blueprint for Mobility Choice lays out four guiding principles on how to move to a competitive transportation market in America. Following these principles, Mobility Choice proposes 10 transportation policies that will remove barriers to competition not only amongst transportation fuels but also among transportation modes.

According to the Coalition, current U.S. transportation policies suppress competition and promote inefficiency in oil use and the following 10 policies can help America move to a competitive market.

1.Ensure the price of fuel better reflects oil's security impact. In order to show consumers the real cost of oil, an oil security fee should be charged per barrel or at the pump.

2.Deploy “HOT” lanes and congestion pricing. New highway, bridge and tunnel infrastructure should be moved to user fees comprised of tolls and include congestion pricing where necessary.

3.Allocate transit dollars to optimize oil savings. Taxpayer dollars should be spent in a more cost-effective way on capital improvements that would improve service on highway routes and new routes that are expected to be constantly busy.

4.Increase insurance choice. Legislation should revoke state regulations that prevent insurance companies from offering consumers the option of pay-as-you-drive insurance.

5.Transit vouchers: mobility choice for low-income households. To promote competition, subsidies, such as transit vouchers, should be given to low-income families.

6.Unburden the trip not taken. Government should promote telecommuting and compressed workweeks as well as provide tax incentives for telecommuting setup. In addition, interactions with the government should be handled online.

7.Return gas tax revenue to areas with the most traffic and oil savings potential. Metropolitan areas should be qualified to acquire a large amount of federal gas tax receipts through a brand-new program or through the existing Surface Transportation Program in order to increase efficient and transparent use of funds.

8.Liberalize local land-development rules. Currently, regulatory barriers inhibit neighborhood design that allows little driving. Eligibility of municipalities for certain federal transportation funds should be constructed liberally.

9.Deploy smart traffic management. Roads and transit lines should be equipped with the latest and best technology to improve traffic.

10.Deploy electric rail if justified by cost efficiency and oil displacement potential. Transit agencies should be required to evaluate cost efficiency and oil savings in order to justify federal funding for new rails under the right circumstances.
“America's dependence on oil not only undermines our economy, it also poses serious risks to our national security. We must act now to strip oil of its status as a strategic commodity by eliminating government regulations that stifle competition and promote inefficiencies in our transportation system,” said Anne Korin.


Website: mobilitychoice.org

Telecommuting as Affirmation of Positive Leadership

Telecommuting as Affirmation of Positive Leadership
Tuesday, December 15, 2009 by Mark Harbeke
When I have written before about telecommuting, it has been from the perspective of employee engagement and satisfaction, as well as a productive workplace when it comes to more peak-performance hours worked and lower turnover.

But embracing this core component of helping workers achieve work/life balance has another benefit. I'll let one of our 2010 Top Small Company Workplaces applicants explain it, who shared this feedback after completing his company's official application last week:

All of our competitors still rely on brick and mortar operations, and by paying our staff top dollar and allowing them to be at home, I as the CEO feel good that we really do take care of our staff. When all you hear on the news is that corporations are bad and business is taking advantage of workers, I at least can sleep at night knowing we do good by our staff. And the application really made me realize that.

This, of course, raises another question: Is CEO health linked to employee satisfaction? I'm guessing there's a correlation here, although I'm not aware of any studies that would prove it.

If you think your practices for building trust in the workplace are not only beneficial to your employees in a tough economy, but are having a powerful, lasting impact on your bottom line and competitiveness, you should apply today to be named a Top Small Company Workplace in Inc. Magazine in 2010.

TWIN CITIES TRANSIT

TWIN CITIES TRANSIT
In 2006 the federal government announced it would grant $1 billion to selected cities that could produce aggressive, innovative projects that included tolling, transit, telecommuting and technology. Of the five winners, Miami and the Twin Cities have done best. Seattle's toll bridges over Lake Washington are behind schedule. Two other winners failed. San Francisco returned most of its grant. New York's project (tolls to enter Midtown Manhattan) was rejected, its money going instead to Los Angeles and Chicago. Chicago's project failed, its funds transferring to Atlanta.

Arguments for Teleworking in California

Viewpoints: State must change thinking on 'telework'

By Kevin Hanley
Special to The Bee
Published: Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2009 - 12:00 am | Page 19A
Last Modified: Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2009 - 1:09 am
California is known worldwide as a place where entrepreneurs can thrive from the creation of green technologies and also reinvent the workplace itself.

Innovative business leaders have put this all together by giving employees the option to "telework" – in other words, work from home a few days a week using advanced technologies.

Unfortunately, California's state government is still mired in inflexible management practices that limit the number of state employees who can telework, even for one day a week.

It's time for new thinking. Maximizing telework in state government would lower costs for taxpayers and employees. It also would improve air quality, lower greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with strict state targets and reduce traffic congestion in the Sacramento region.

But wait. Wouldn't this result in a large number of state workers who, instead of working, sit on the couch at home, eat junk food and watch soap operas all day?

Not with current technology for accountability and efficiency.

Government must move away from operating according to the ossified mind-set of the 1950s and adapt to a new century of thinking. According to the April 2008 report "Telework in the Information Age," by the American Electronics Association (AEA), the most daunting challenge to expanding telework is not technological. More and more people and agencies have desktop and laptop computers, high-speed Internet connections, secure file sharing, and teleconferencing capabilities are ubiquitous. The problem is sociological.

By and large, the public sector has not adapted to new technologies and performance-based management techniques. There is little difference between the way a typical state office was organized in the 1950s and the way one looks today, except that state employees in cubicles are now pecking away on computers, not typewriters.

Some managers in state agencies, shackled like Gulliver with inflexible civil service rules, believe that if they cannot see employees, they cannot be sure they are working. This antiquated and wasteful way of running the state must change.

In contrast, the private sector is rapidly shaping and adapting to the Information Age because it's more productive and beneficial to employers and employees. The AEA report notes that more than 45 million U.S. workers telework at least once a week.

Productivity is boosted because managers hold teleworkers accountable through results-based performance evaluations. For instance, IBM reported its teleworkers achieved a 10 percent to 20 percent increase in productivity compared with their office-based colleagues.

Telework is a powerful recruitment and retention tool for businesses and potentially for government. Workers tell surveyors they face fewer distractions while working from home, gained time from reduced commutes, saved gas, food, clothing and child care expenses, and achieved a healthier life-work balance. In an analysis of data on 12,833 teleworkers, Pennsylvania State University researchers found that telework boosts employee morale and job satisfaction.

State government cannot afford to operate in a "business as usual" mode. The state faces a $21 billion budget deficit over the next 18 months, and the Schwarzenegger administration and the Legislature will have to enact additional cuts. Furlough Fridays aren't going away soon. However, by maximizing telework options, the state can more effectively use its work force.

Maximizing telework would also help the state meet its environmental goals. According to the "Metropolitan Transportation Plan 2035," issued by the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG), since 1970, vehicle miles traveled in the region have increased by 190 percent while capacity on our highways and roads increased only 30 percent. By 2035, our region's population will have increased from 2.1 million to 3.1 million people. That will present significant challenges with congestion and pollution. Maximizing telework should be part of the solution.

Our region and California face major hurdles in maintaining and improving our quality of life. By seizing the opportunities of telework, we can achieve a winning solution for taxpayers and state employees.

Telecommuting – 5 Tips for Creating an Effective and Well-Balanced Policy

Telecommuting – 5 Tips for Creating an Effective and Well-Balanced Policy.
December 10th, 2009 In our last post, we reviewed the Pros and Cons of permitting employees to telecommute. Telecommuting is a great way to increase productivity and save the company money; however, there can be some risk, so finding the right balance of benefit and risk is crucial. Here are 5 tips for managing telecommuters, which can help ensure that the telecommuting experience is a productive and successful one.


1. Have clear guidelines for the telecommuting program.

The guidelines should indicate to employees and managers what the criteria are for selecting telecommuters, how to request consideration as a telecommuter and what the requirements are for ongoing participation. You should also have a “telecommuting contract.” Include hours the employee is expected to be available by phone or e-mail, times the employee will need to report in to the office, equipment that will be provided by the employer, safety issues, performance expectations, training, etc.
2. Clarify the “ground rules” for the telecommuting relationship

Telecommuters must be measured on results and the attainment of established goals.

3. Have a formal training program

Training of both telecommuters and their managers is essential. Training should focus both on the technical aspects of telecommuting (how to use the equipment, etc.) as well as the relationship aspects (how and when to contact the office).

4. Make your expectations clear

Be clear and specific about your expectations in terms of the output you expect from telecommuters. Consider ways that you can quantify the deliverables you will expect.


5. Communicate! Provide frequent and constructive feedback

Since telecommuters are away from the office and not part of the informal communication and feedback process that often takes place between managers and employees, it is important to establish formal channels and processes for providing feedback on performance.

A well crafted and balanced telecommuting policy can go a long way in establishing a positive working relationship with your staff, saving your company money, and increasing corporate productivity and efficiency. If you require assistance in creating a policy, please contact our Human Resources Consulting department to schedule an appointment.

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Fillmore County testing Telecommuting

From the Spring Valley Tribune in a 12/10/2009 article By Lisa Brainard entitled “Fillmore County hears no input at 2010 budget and levy hearing”

“County coordinator Karen Brown stated ….What she termed "redesign" efforts included the following changes:

• The county is increasingly relying on technology. Meetings are held by interactive TV, saving both time away from the job and meeting-related expenses. A pilot program on telecommuting also is being done in Social Services.”

Telecommuting: Pilot to Permanent Program - Minnesota

Telecommuting: Pilot to Permanent Program


IRM GUIDELINE 18, VERSION 1a:

Purpose
Many state agencies have conducted telecommuting pilot programs in order to gain experience that would help determine the applicability of telecommuting within those agencies. Pilot programs were also conducted as a response to the legislative requirement that agencies prepare a telecommuting plan when requesting capital funding for office space. Although these pilots were considered successful, many agencies have not taken the next step: formalizing and establishing a permanent telecommuting program. The purpose of this guideline is to encourage agencies to establish permanent programs, define the components of a permanent program and suggest one path for migrating from a pilot to a permanent telecommuting program.

Scope
The scope of this guideline includes evaluating a pilot program and defining and implementing a permanent telecommuting program.

References and documents
The Minnesota statewide telecommuting policy is contained in the following:

State of Minnesota - Telecommuting Program manual

The Department of Administration published the following evaluation of its pilot program:

Department of Administration - Telecommuting Pilot Program Assessment

The Office of Enterprise Technology has prepared a companion telecommuting guideline:

IRM Guideline 4, Version 4a - General Introduction and Implementation of a Pilot Program

Visit the OET website for telecommuting reference documents with examples:



Definition of telecommuting
The following definition is from the Minnesota Statewide Policy, dated July 1996.

Telecommuting is a work location alternative that allows employees to meet customer needs by performing job responsibilities away from an assigned office. Homes or telework centers are equipped with information technology that is appropriate for the tasks being performed. Note that this definition involves employees who: 1) work partially at an assigned office, AND 2) work partially at home or at a telework center.



Benefits of telecommuting
Telecommuting provides short-term and long-term benefits to the state as a whole, to individual state agencies, to the customers of state government and to employees. In the short-term, these benefits include increased productivity, improved employee recruiting and retention, reduced absenteeism, reduced traffic congestion and environmental pollution, improved job satisfaction and reduced stress levels for employees. In the long-term, these benefits include an improved level of customer service and reduced need for office space which may translate to reduced capital bonding and operating costs including rent, utilities, insurance, furnishings, security, cleaning, maintenance and parking facilities.

Telecommuting and office space
Telecommuting can generate savings in office space and real estate in the long-term; however, many prerequisites need to be in place before those savings can be realized. Senior management commitment to the program is required before space reduction activities can proceed. Other prerequisites are highly recommended such as:

Telecommuting schedules of at least 2 and 3 days per week per telecommuter
Information technology and telephone communications that meet or exceed job requirements (a technical support plan is critical)
Flexibility and willingness of managers and employees to adapt to change
Telecommuters who volunteer to share cubicles or offices
A specific space savings plan including goals


Definition of a permanent telecommuting program
Practitioners, academics and consultants do not agree on one, single, definition of a permanent telecommuting program. Telecommuting is not "one-size-fits-all". Organizations have different missions, business needs, resources and types of jobs. However, there is general consensus that establishing a permanent program means:

Making telecommuting available throughout the organization
Formalizing the components of a telecommuting program
A telecommuting program should be formalized in order to manage the process of making telecommuting available throughout the organization.

This guideline identifies a framework of components for a telecommuting program that could meet the needs of Minnesota State government agencies. After researching industry practices, both public and private, examining pilots in state agencies, and discussing this topic with practitioners, professional associations, consultants and Minnesota State agencies, certain components appeared repeatedly. These components are:

Strong executive management support to understand and accept the business case, provide resources and show leadership in adapting to change.
Selection of specific business goals and objectives , to meet existing business challenges. For example, productivity and staff retention may be common business needs for all agencies and telecommuting may increase productivity and improve staff retention. A cost/benefit analysis is highly recommended.
Organizational structure to define and administer the permanent telecommuting program. For example, responsibility for administering the program could be divided among existing functional managers, a steering committee, and existing human resources and information technology managers or staff.
Telecommuting champion or coordinator to infuse energy and enthusiasm into the program.
Finalized policies that are approved by executive management and that clearly state responsibilities and rules for the program. The policy from the pilot program should be modified as necessary and should follow the Statewide Telecommuting Policy. In addition, since a permanent program opens telecommuting to all employees who have suitable jobs for telecommuting, three policy areas must be clarified in detail. Those areas are:
suitability of each job in the organization for telecommuting
eligibility criteria for telecommuting
legal positions on workers' compensation injuries and liabilities
It is important to note that agencies should communicate policy discussions and decisions to representatives of collective bargaining units.

Telecommuter understanding form to document telecommuting arrangements for individuals. The telecommuter understanding form from the pilot program can be modified and implemented.
Information technology and support to enable and support telecommuters.
Measurement and evaluation of the telecommuting program to measure success and to make adaptations as needed.
Requirement for mandatory training sessions to ensure compliance with policies, conduct technology training and provide detail information on home safety and ergonomics issues.
On-going communication and feedback channels to obtain input, resolve issues and measure progress.


Reasons to formalize a telecommuting program
Many compelling reasons exist to formalize telecommuting programs. Generally, a lack of formal policies increases 1) risk of lawsuits involving workers' compensation and discrimination, and 2) organizational exposure to loss of assets such as equipment and data. Also, informal telecommuting can drain funding and staff resources in the information technology group without an analysis of benefits gained versus costs incurred. Following are several reasons to formalize a telecommuting program:

A formal program creates an opportunity to obtain specific benefits.
Formal, approved policies and mandatory training can help mitigate risk exposures such as employee injuries by defining a safe home work environment, requiring safety and ergonomic training and assigning responsibilities for maintaining safe home work places.
Formal, approved policies can reduce risk of discrimination issues by formalizing eligibility criteria and documenting the approval/rejection process for telecommuting.
A formal program ensures that all jobs in the organization have been evaluated and categorized for suitability for telecommuting. This pre-selection process protects critical business processes and relieves individual managers and supervisors from making case-by-case decisions regarding which job types are suitable for telecommuting.
Formal, approved policies can help prevent loss or damage to state-owned equipment by defining the conditions for home-use of equipment, the conditions of return of equipment and assigning responsibilities for care and protection of equipment.
A formal program includes analyzing and managing costs and benefits in order to prevent cost escalation and to evaluate the benefit of telecommuting to the organization.
A formal program ensures that all managers and supervisors have executive support, clear direction and policies that are consistent across the organization. Consistent policies help prevent conflicting decisions by individual managers and supervisors.
A formal program requires that a telecommuting organization structure exist which assumes ownership and assigns roles and responsibilities for the program. Also, the telecommuting organization structure would establish open, on-going communication methods to obtain feedback and ensure speedy resolution of issues.
A formal program requires mandatory training for telecommuters and their managers to ensure that they are familiar with policies, technology (including network and data security practices), and home safety and ergonomics issues.


Framework of components for a permanent telecommuting program
A framework of components for a permanent telecommuting program is provided for the convenience of agencies. However, telecommuting programs are not "one-size-fits-all". The framework is meant to help stimulate creative thinking and support informed and meaningful decision making, while providing a list of components that may be essential for a successful telecommuting program. Following is a list of those components:

Executive support
Telecommuting organization structure
Evaluation of the pilot program
Business goals and objectives
Telecommuting policy and understanding form
Telecommuting champion
Definition of the permanent program
Supporting information technology
On-going implementation plan
Repeatable training course
Program maintenance


1. Executive support
Executive support is critical in successfully deploying a permanent telecommuting program. Executive leadership, authority and responsibility are needed to understand and accept the business case, provide resources and approve the final policies.



2. Telecommuting organization structure
A permanent telecommuting program needs a "home" within the agency to drive, manage and administer the program. This "home" could be composed of many functional groups that would share the roles and responsibilities for telecommuting. Entities that would participate in this "home" organization structure would be business functional units, a steering committee, human resources, information technology and legal counsel. Each entity would share in common activities, such as policy review, while other entities would have sole responsibility for certain activities, such as conducting the training program. This structure would help ensure maximum participation and "buy in" from all business units.



3. Evaluation of the pilot program
The results of the pilot program should be evaluated (if not previously done) by reviewing final reports, surveys and notes from focus group sessions. These results could be used as a starting point for planning the permanent program. It may be helpful to interview key management and staff who were involved in the pilot. Appropriate questions might include:

What lessons were learned? What worked well, what needed improvement?
What were the positive and negative opinions and issues?
What were the measurable benefits and costs?
Was the pilot changed during its course? If so, why and how?
Was information technology adequate?
What legal issues arose, if any?


4. Business goals and objectives
Identification of the business goals (often referred to as the "business needs") and objectives are critical for a successful program. Telecommuting should support the organization's mission and satisfy the needs of customers, managers and employees. Goals and objectives are used to determine the success of the program; therefore they should be specific, measurable, documented, monitored and reported. These goals and objectives could be quantified on a continuum from modest to aggressive and could span several years. Progress on goals and objectives should be monitored and reported to obtain feedback for corrective action and to measure the success of the program.

Examples of short-term business goals
Examples of long-term business goals

Increased productivity
Improved recruiting and retention
Reduced absenteeism
Reduced commute miles, traffic congestion and air pollution
Reduced office and parking space
Reduced building occupancy costs
Improved customer service






Examples of measurable objectives:

Employee productivity (quantity and/or quality of work as stated in surveys, meeting project deadlines and managing multiple priorities)
Employee satisfaction/morale (more family time, lower stress from less commuting)
Employee turnover rate
Employee recruitment cycle time
Employee absenteeism rate
Commute time
Commute miles, fuel consumption, air pollution
Improved use of office space at the central location (number of shared office spaces)


5. Telecommuting policy and understanding form
The most important characteristic that differentiates a permanent telecommuting program from a pilot program is that a permanent program makes telecommuting available throughout the organization for all suitable jobs and for employees within those jobs. It is absolutely necessary to clarify policies dealing with job suitability, employee eligibility for telecommuting, employee/telecommuter job performance, workers' compensation and injuries, home safety and ergonomics and liability for property and equipment.

Policy topic
Issue to be clarified

1. Job suitability
What types of jobs are and are not suitable for telecommuting?

2. Employee Eligibility
Who may or may not telecommute?

3. Performance Evaluation
How will telecommuters' job performance be evaluated?

4. Employee injuries and workers' compensation; home safety and ergonomics
How can injuries be prevented?

How can home work areas be made safer? How can safe conditions be maintained on an on-going basis?

How will injuries be reported?

5. Liability for property, equipment and data
How can property and equipment be protected from loss or damage?

What data is private and how can it be protected from loss or corruption?




See IRM Guideline 4, Version 4a, General Introduction and Implementation of a Pilot Program for more information about telecommuting policies.

The telecommuter understanding form should be reviewed and synchronized with the final policy. The final agency policy should not conflict with the statewide policy. Also, agencies might request a policy review by the Attorney General's office. Lastly, it is important to maintain communication with representatives of collective bargaining units concerning telecommuting policies.



6. Telecommuting champion or coordinator
A telecommuting champion or coordinator would provide visibility and leadership for telecommuting within the organization. This individual could infuse energy and enthusiasm into the program and encourage managers and employees to support and participate in the program. Specific duties might include preparing newsletter articles, giving presentations, publishing testimonials supporting telecommuting, espousing benefits and personally encouraging employees and managers to participate in the program.



7. Definition of the permanent telecommuting program
The unique scope and parameters of the telecommuting permanent program should be defined by the organization. The program description might include the following items:

A list of the jobs that have been analyzed and selected as suitable for telecommuting
Statement of business goals and objectives
Description of the process for requesting approval to telecommute
Methods of communicating with telecommuters and their managers
Methods of measuring progress on objectives, i.e. surveys or focus group meetings
Range of telecommuting days allowed, i.e. minimum and maximum days per week


8. Supporting information technology
Supporting information technology is critical to the success of a permanent telecommuting program. Detailed technology profiles and cost estimates should be prepared for each job in the organization that was determined to be suitable for telecommuting. The profile should include equipment and support required at the central site location and at remote locations to support telecommuting. Generally, telecommuters need access to the same types of information technology in the home as in the central office. See IRM Guideline 4, Version 4a, General Introduction and Implementation of a Pilot Program for more information about selecting information technology.



9. On-going implementation plan
Implementation planning is extremely important in deploying and maintaining a successful permanent telecommuting program. This plan should contain repeatable sections for policy revision, recruiting campaigns, training courses and other periodic activities. The plan should contain tasks, deliverables, and names of responsible individuals and completion dates for activities. The implementation plan could identify phases such as 1) planning, 2) implementation, 3) on-going operations, and 4) repeating activities. The overall implementation plan should include information technology.

10. Repeatable training course
A formal, mandatory training course is critical to the success of a permanent telecommuting program. Agency executives, telecommuters, supervisors of telecommuters and selected central site co-workers should attend the training course. This course should be repeatable in order to reduce the long-term cost of training for future telecommuters. Following are suggested topics:

Statewide and agency telecommuting policies
Telecommuter understanding form, optional arrangements and instructions
Telephone and e-mail response frequencies for customers, supervisors and co-workers
Data security and privacy policies and practices
Technology training and security procedures
Fair Labor Standards Act, collective bargaining agreement language
Home safety practices, ergonomic factors and areas of potential liability
Workers' Compensation and injury reporting procedures
On-going communication process for reporting issues and receiving feedback
Contacts and process for questions and problems


11. Program Maintenance
The telecommuting organization structure should assume responsibility for maintaining the permanent program. Feedback and status information as well as progress on goals and objectives should be monitored and periodically evaluated. Surveys and/or focus group meetings are recommended to obtain this information. The feedback loop should be on-going and should provide information to the executive sponsor, the entire telecommuting organization structure, telecommuter supervisors and telecommuters. This feedback loop should be used to modify the permanent program over time so that it closely fits the needs of the organization. Costs and benefits should also be monitored and reported. The program should continue to evolve over time as the organization becomes more experienced with telecommuting, and as business needs and information technology change. Following are examples of survey questions:

Are goals and objectives being met? (be very specific)
Is productivity increasing?
Is absenteeism decreasing?
Are employee turnover rates and recruiting cycles decreasing?
Are commute miles, traffic congestion and air pollution decreasing?
Is technology adequate and available?
Are communications being maintained at an acceptable level?
Are supervisors of telecommuters satisfied with telecommuter performance?
Are telecommuters and supervisors satisfied with telecommuting schedules?
What do responders like MOST about the telecommuting program?
What do responders like LEAST about the telecommuting program?
Do telecommuters and supervisors believe that telecommuting should continue?

Telecommuting, Networking Here and Abroad

Telecommuting, Networking Here and Abroad
30th November 2009 written by Margo Rose
Recently, I had the opportunity to be a guest blogger at http://www.rceuro.com. What I’ve discovered is the issues that we consider critical here in the US are also relevant in the UK and Europe. Bridges are being crossed regularly. Bill Boorman is in the midst of planning another unconference, Trulondon 2. Several of my colleagues are going to be track leaders. This is incredibly exciting because as we share our experiences and best demonstrated practices, we begin to build new bridges over which we can cross for continued success. We live in a global business environment. Therefore, it makes sense to network with our colleagues abroad. What I hope to do is to learn more about what my colleagues in Europe are doing, while offering a window into my world as well. In so doing, we continue to grow, and strengthen our organizations in the process.

Twitter has opened new doors, built new bridges, and extended hands around the world. It is so moving to guest blog on other people’s blogs, particularly when I can reach global business colleages.
Today I was studying an article produced by http://shrm.org. Telecommuting is a compelling alternative in the global environment.

Considering we are working remotely more and more, it was interesting to read the following statistics. Employees report higher productivity and job satisfaction. This is what the data from this article reveled. I quote the following:

“When employees were asked about their time working remotely:

* 83 percent said their ability to communicate and collaborate with workers was the same, if not better, as when they worked on-site.
* 75 percent said the timeliness of their work improved.
* 69 percent reported higher productivity. Sixty percent of the time they saved via telecommuting they applied to work; the other 40 percent they applied to personal use.
* 67 percent of workers said the overall quality of their work improved.

Sixty-three percent of managers supervise more than one teleworking employee. The typical employee telecommutes two days per week, the survey found. When they are not telecommuting, the average round-trip commute varied according to the region where they live:

* United States and Canada, 30 miles.
* Asia-Pacific, 14 miles.
* Europe, 46 miles.
* Japan, 26 miles.
* Emerging markets, 16 miles. ”

SHRM is a valuable resource for research and trends. I am grateful for drawing upon this article to make a point. Telecommuting is going to shape the way we work. It’s not just a matter of a preference to work from home, nor an unwillingness to drive to the office.

What this article reveals (while it was based on a study done with Cisco employees) is that people are looking for new ways to work more efficiently and effectively. Telecommuting not only gives one the opportunity to deliver work around the country, but also builds bridges around the world.

I’m quite sure this will be fodder for discussion, and I welcome your comments.