TELEWORKING: REDUCTIONS, INCREASES AND SOLUTIONS

It’s a fact: telecommuting is on the rise. Doing some or all of your work away from your employer’s offices is a growing trend, thanks to advances in digital technologies.

Is working from home, from your favourite café or even from the beach always better for you and your employer?

This article sheds light on what’s being reduced, what’s increasing, and what you need to watch out for. It also offers some strategic solutions for working successfully in telecommuting mode, while continuing to radiate confidence and credibility.

I- WHAT IS REDUCED

Your expenses

All the costs associated with your commute: gas, wear and maintenance on your car, the monthly public transit pass and parking are all lower on your budget. Maybe the second family car isn’t even necessary anymore…?

Your seasonal wardrobe is smaller, so you buy fewer clothes. So you save on your clothing allowance too. When you have to meet with team members, customers or suppliers, you can put your clothes back on without worrying about being suspected of not having had a chance to go home the day before to change.

Caution:
the way you dress has an impact on your posture and spirit. What you wear is judged by others, including video-conferencing from your home or cottage. Wherever you are, you need to look the part.

Solution:

Wear clean, wrinkle- and stain-free outfits that match your role and activities for the day. Don’t skimp on the bottom of your clothes, in case you have to get up. And always have clothes ready for last-minute appointments.

Your coffee and lunch envelopes will also be thinner. Sipping coffee and eating at home is cheaper than eating out.

Your stress

With more flexibility in the use of your time, you experience less stress in balancing work, family and personal life.

Please note:
With access to your work tools from anywhere, you can be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Solution:
agree and announce your office hours with realistic returns. Don’t overestimate your ability to accomplish tasks by leaving yourself time to integrate what’s not on your calendar.

With congestion, weather, construction and road breakdowns out of your control, you reduce the stress associated with these unforeseen events.

Warning:
weather conditions may cause technological failures.

Solution:

Identify and make arrangements for alternative locations to connect to the Internet and stay functional.

Unpleasant colleagues, disturbing smells, distracting sounds, impromptu visits, the constant stream of team members and gossip removed from your daily routine, you’re less annoyed and irritated.

Your sense of belonging

Without daily contact, small meetings and hallway conversations, mission, vision and values can slip from your heart. Regularly list your priorities and compare them with organizational objectives.

Caution:
far from collective synergy, loneliness can be a side effect. Then, out of sight of the employer, some employees slip under the promotion radar.

Solution:

Set up regular visits, meetings and reports with your managers and colleagues. Organize lunches and other team-building activities. Present your successes modestly, using quantitative and qualitative data, ideally from an objective perspective.

II- WHAT’S ON THE RISE

Your technical skills

E-mails, teleconferences, webinars, text messages, phone calls and who knows what other means of communication we’ll be using in a few months or years’ time. By working remotely, you develop these skills. Bravo, techno pro!

Caution:
you are responsible for maintaining and operating your equipment and all your appliances. You are also responsible for the confidentiality and protection of your documents.

Solution:

If your employer doesn’t offer technical support, find a trusted supplier and another one if necessary. Carry out regular maintenance and updates. When you receive visitors, close the windows on your computer or even your devices. Keep your documents under lock and key.

Caution:
what you project in your communications also reflects on your employer.

Solution:
Be strict about adhering to company policies and practices in your emails, voicemail, social media and computer. Make sure that your décor and everything seen during the videoconference reflect your role and your employer, including your choice of glass. Compared to an opaque glass with a beer brand logo, a transparent glass with water will leave no doubt about your beverage, especially if it’s quarter to midnight on a Friday night, when you’re chatting with a customer from another time zone.

Your productivity

No more wasting time going back and forth to the office, finding a parking space and ruminating in traffic. You’re no longer late and you’re absent less.

Please note:
while waiting for communications from your colleagues, who now also have a flexible schedule, you may lose time.

Solution:
Within your team, formalize expected return times and preferred modes of communication according to messages and tasks.

You’re no longer interrupted by someone who talks loudly, comes in for an unexpected chat or holds you back when you leave the bathroom. In your bubble, a few minutes after your first coffee of the day, you’re fresher and quickly ready to work.

Warning:
interruptions from family members, neighbors and even pets may be increased.

Solution:
Announce the day’s activities with a board on your door or a flyer. Let your friends and family know that you won’t be taking any calls. Don’t interact on social media, unless it’s for work, during your working hours.

Your job opportunities

Saying “bye-bye” to the constraints of travel, you’re quickly connected to the network. The whole world is waiting for you!

Warning:
Canada has six time zones and our world has 24. Work habits and working hours are culturally specific.

Solution:

find out what’s being done and respect what’s not being done elsewhere. If necessary, contact your favorite etiquette specialist for a coaching session and your cultural profile.

Temptations

Your favorite hobbies, nearby treats and even household chores can challenge you more frequently, reducing your output and ultimately affecting your performance.

Solution:
Maintain a regular schedule, according to your biorhythm and efficiency. During these hours, limit your space to your work area and the toilet. Access the kitchen, the courtyard, go shopping or go for a run – only when you need a break.

CONCLUSION

Nomadic or sedentary, in an office at home or almost anywhere on the planet, according to studies the results of telecommuting are happier, wealthier employees. Before you go shopping for office supplies or announcing a new policy that allows telecommuting, make sure you have the qualities essential to telecommuting: discipline, self-motivation and focus.

Regularly validate your expectations regarding deadlines and deliverables. If necessary, participate in or offer training on data security, organization and time prioritization, including how to divide workspaces and professional and personal time.

Finally, since you’ll be away from the applause and pats on the back, take care to celebrate your successes too.

Are you in a sticky situation? This blog is at your service. Write to me at julie@julieblaiscomeau.com. Your situation may enlighten other readers.

Published by the Ordre des conseillers en ressources humaines du Québec January, 2020 (c) Julie Blais Comeau