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Subject:Re- telecommuting thread From:Auli -dot- Ingman -at- SASKTEL -dot- SK -dot- CA Date:Mon, 18 Sep 1995 10:07:37 -0600
Re: telecommuting thread
Someone asked for possible drawbacks. Here's a few I thought of:
1. If you are a salaried employee, your employer might put some not-so-subtle
pressure on you to work a longer day than you would in the traditional office
setting. In order to keep the other undeniable benefits (childcare, eldercare,
etc.) you might feel obligated to put in a couple of extra hours daily without
pay.
2. For salaried employees, who pays for the extra power and use of your home as
an office?
3. Some people need to get away from home to really get down to work: I'm afraid
I'd just diddle around and not get anything done because I'm really easily
distracted :>) ! If you're not, more power to you.
4. I'm not a great socializer, but I do need to see other people. I like working
beside other people, if not necessarily with them -- something like the parallel
play of two-year olds!
5. If telecommuting were to become really widespread, there would be a severe
economic impact on all the peripheral industries that depend on office workers,
e.g. cafeteria workers, parking lot attendants, retail workers. There is already
an alarming trend toward a two-tier society of techno-crats and techno-peasants.
Maybe we're not responsible for their misfortune and it may be inevitable in any
case, but I hate to see more people lose their jobs.
In spite of all these reasons, I would like to telecommute a maximum of 3 days a
week, if my employer and the union could come to a workable agreement.
