Telecommuting essays

Telecommuting essays The use of computers and telecommunications can enable work to be done at a location remote from an organisations office; a development known as telecommuting. Telecommuting involves working away from the office and communicating with the employer through the use of telecommunications equipment. Telecommuters can be based at home, in satellite offices or even, due to the advances in technology, on the move. It is often misconstrued as working from a home via the Internet. Telecommuting is not only related to online commuting, but also to all work done away from the traditional office environment. Depending on the aspects of the occupation the chosen method of telecommunication is variable, some occupations utilise telephone or fax machines. The downfall of these methods is their inaccessibility to corporate information on a real time basis - a vital element of many jobs. This is where the recent technological advances have allowed access to corporate information from remote locations. Resources are accessible to the employee without physically being on site and by communicating with other employees via telephone, e-mail, teleconferencing software (such as Microsoft NetMeeting) or using multi-functional communication software such as Mirabilis ICQ the vast majority of the job may be able to be done from a remote location. This eliminates the need for the employee to commute, allowing the worker to spend less time in the office. This situation is advantageous to the employee, the employer and the government. Telecommuting offers benefits to all parties directly involved; the employees and the employers, and non-directly involved, the Government. The advantages and disadvantages, both quantitative and qualitative will be explored, discussed and evaluated in the following paragraphs. Telecommuting reduces or eliminates the commuting time needed, depending upon the proportion of the week the employee telecommu...