Re: Telecommuting

[Bobby Collins <bcollins -at- IPA -dot- NET>]

Daniel Read wrote:


>I have not personally telecommuted, but have been in the position of
>being the direct supervisor of someone who was working in a "virtual
>office" for our company that was five hours drive away.  I was also in a
>position of having to sell the benefits of this arrangement to the CEO
>and President of the company, who were against it.

>They had the obvious concerns:

>        - can we trust him to be working on our stuff an not someone
>else's (he was a full-time, W2 employee)?
>        - what about the cost of phone bills, mail, etc.?
>        - what about his equipment?  will we be expected to purchase and
>maintain it?
>        - what about the security of the work he will be doing?  will he
>be doing tape backups?  is his house protected against the theft of his
>computer?  will he maintain an off-site backup?  how can we be sure that
>the work he does is properly integrated into our daily change control?
>what happens when the relationship is over?  are we going to have a lot
>of hassles getting our work from him then?

>The arrangement ended up working out well, I think,
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How did you successfully answer those concerns of the PTB?

That may be the key to my getting the next assignment to work in my bathrobe
and slippers!

Bobby (who just landed his first regular freelance client, and *had* to crow
in his signature)
Bobby Collins
Business Writing Services
P. O. Box 10918
Fort Smith, AR 72917
501.452.0005