The Pros and Cons of Telecommuting

When employees work from home or a remote place, it is termed telecommuting. These days, people have resorted to this form of working. It seems that both employers and employees find ease in telecommuting.

Some companies allow partial telecommuting. It means that once in a while, the telecommuter should attend the office meeting. Many other companies allow complete telecommuting or remote work.

In This Article

Pros of Telecommuting

Most people are more exposed to the pros of telecommuting. When someone says that he or she works from home, the listener will feel that the telecommuter is lucky.

It’s true people find ease in this form of working because it provides higher flexibility and better performance results.

Employees get greater flexibility.

From the point of view of the employee, teleworkers have better flexibility. This is because there is no back-and-forth traveling.

The telecommuter sits at home and performs the duties of the job. They can start the work as per their routine and hence enjoy better flexibility.

There is better flexibility in starting and finishing work. The transportation costs of the employees get reduced. These things make employees happy and content.

Performance gets better

When employees are content and happy at their workplace, their performance shows up immediately.

Working at home can also help telecommuters enjoy a bit of rest time. Perhaps, this might be the reason for enhanced performance.

Employees can achieve a better work-life balance.

Employees with talents, skills, and academic backgrounds may have to forego the chance of development because they also have some important priorities at home.

But when they get a chance to telecommute, there will be a better work-life balance.

Employers can reduce office costs, parking space costs, and overheads.

While the employees work from home or in a remote place, the office area will not have to be too massive.

Since employees work from their homes, there is no need for parking space at the office. There will be a good amount of reduction in office overhead costs.

This benefit has created a newer and different mindset among new employers who love the idea of the work-from-home concept.

Even though the benefits of telecommuting seem quite attractive, you should know about the cons or the flip side.

Cons of Telecommuting

Employees have to face challenges at home while they are telecommuting.

Even though some employees like telecommuting and feel there is better flexibility, some employees think they would prefer going to the office and working if given a chance.

Employees may find it tough to draw personal boundaries when there are kids and other distractions at home. Sometimes, managing the role of a telecommuter and a homemaker might create more stress and affect performance levels too.

Men distracted by entertainment or sports find it tough to have a proper work routine as a telecommuter.

Communication can be a big hurdle for telecommuters.

Telecommuters who work from home may want to communicate with their superiors but might fail due to improper communication tools, different time zones, or maybe some other apprehension.

People have different natures. Some people want to be led; some people need a clear set of goals. Some people need someone to supervise them, etc. When telecommuters have such mindsets, it often comes their way to make their performance lower.

Discussing sensitive information about the company can also be a problem.

At times, the supervisor may have to discuss some sensitive information online. This can be a big challenge virtually, and there is always a risk of a data leak.

Supervising employees from a remote place can be quite challenging.

When an employer or a supervisor has to handle remote employees, it becomes a task and a big challenge because communication should be perfect and up to the mark. Lacking that can have unsteady working conditions.

Employees have to work in a lonely manner.

Many employees who need some socializing miss that opportunity when they have to telecommute.

Employees feel lonely, and sometimes this can lead to demotivation at work. People working at offices have off-site events, networking meetings, etc. Telecommuters feel lonely and miss these special opportunities to bond with their work-mates.

The remote employee may not be able to show true talent.

Remote employees have to work on the given projects, and the work is supposed to be generic. The creativity and research skills of the employees often get reduced and stay unnoticed.

Apart from the pros, there are cons, risks, and challenges too that are associated with telecommuting. But, if one wishes to streamline things and make telecommuting a truly interesting option, then the company can adopt some methods.

Things that a company can do to make telecommuting a smooth roadway

It is in the hands of the company and the employer to make telecommuting smooth enough. Here are some of the tips that companies can follow:

Setting up clear guidelines about work will help the employees know what roadmap they must follow. This should include infrastructure, work timings, communication tools, and meeting schedules.
Telecommuting might seem interesting at the start. But later, it may turn out to be monotonous. The company should work towards removing monotony in the role and task profile.
The installation of better security measures is something that every company should get ahead with. This holds especially for those who have telecommuters in the bigger range. If needed, the company should install equipment and communication tools for all the telecommuters to make uniform results.
The work offered to telecommuters should be challenging and impart them with better prospects of growth from time to time.
Employers should allow remote workers to come and meet at the office once in a while. This can help in enhancing the zest to work.
Employers should also generate slides and videos to motivate employees at regular intervals.

There are a few things that even employees can do to make telecommuting interesting.

Things that telecommuters can do to make telecommuting result-oriented

Set the work time and strictly follow the same. It is vital that those who work from home should maintain a good routine. There are chances that the person may get bored. But in between, they can take a small break and watch a motivational video or just get up and do some exercise. But this break should truly be short.
The telecommuters should talk to the supervisor or to the employer with clarity. If the company has installed proper tools of communication, then the employee should take advantage of the same. If the telecommuter is facing any problem technically, then the efforts should be to resolve the same as soon as possible.
When the person works in a lonely atmosphere, there are chances to lose motivation. But, the telecommuter should try and stay motivated in whatever condition is exposed to the person.
When an employee does work from home, there might be home commitments and distractions that would come up. It is vital to make the home space for work so that there are no disturbances or distractions.
·Sometimes, there may be a thirst to do overwork, and sometimes the employee may want to practice procrastination. Even though the company has not set daily goals, the employee should set goals for himself. This will ensure the proper establishment of daily goals and fulfillment of the same.

At the micro level, people think of the benefits of telecommuting for employees and for employers. But when macro thinking is established, a few pros and cons are discussed here. But still, because of the sustainability that telecommuting provides, it is going to stay here.

Macro-level discussion about telecommuting: is it sustainable and here to stay?

One of the pros that you can see at the macro level is the benefit that will come to the environment. There is less CO2 emission and hence low carbon footprints when the person does not commute or rarely commutes. These days most companies wish to be sustainable, and with the offer that the employees get to telecommute, sustainability will increase for sure.
There’s one more important point of discussion here: when telecommuting is encouraged, at some point, there will be a risk of a data leak or a virtual meeting getting hacked or some such data risk. It is important that companies that allow telecommuting should be strong enough in the installation and adoption of network securities.
Telecommuting has brought about a fall in real estate commercial properties. But there has been an increased dependence on workspaces and other options for telecommuting. Amidst Covid 19, it was seen that with the right IT measures and network products, companies can still achieve their goals.
When there are issues like virus spread or some disaster near the office premise, telecommuting can be a good option. In fact, during Covid 19 outbreak, telecommuting was the only way most people worked.
Data suggests that people who telecommute might be prone to depression and anxiety. Since they do not get an opportunity to socialize with people and their teammates, they also tend to have emotional and mental issues.

How Has Telecommuting Gained Popularity?

There are three types of telecommuting. The first is working from home, the second is working in a remote place near the office, and the third is working at a special co-working space. There are many benefits of telecommuting. This is the reason why many companies have started preferring the same.

Telecommuting has become quite popular after Covid 19. People used to be telecommuters even before. But after the virus spread, this concept started becoming more popular.

With changing times, companies and employees must find solutions within the options and the available scenario.

Just like everything has two sides, even telecommuting has some pros and some cons. It is important to read the details below to better understand the same.

Conclusion

With detailed discussion about the pros and cons of telecommuting, it is seen that people have started finding convenience and sustainability in these things.

When telecommuters have to check out for ways to face the challenges, they should look out for both pros and cons of telecommuting. Understanding the concept well and understanding how it can provide a great career opportunity can take the company and the employees a long way.