In Defense of Telecommuting

It is hard to ignore the recent upsurge in the movement to "go green". Television and radio ads supporting environmentally friendly causes and promoting movements to clean up everything from the oceans to the air are appearing more and more frequently, with new public service announcements premiering every day. High-profile celebrities, prominent politicians and notable organizations have all cast their lot in with the pro-environmental movement. While almost any practice that makes our planet a cleaner, safer place to live (since, for the moment, we don't really have any other options planet-wise) is certainly worthwhile, it can sometimes prove difficult to think of ways that the average individual can contribute. Everyday actions such as recycling, turning off unnecessary lights or conserving water are some of the most common methods employed by the average American, but there is one means of conservation that is growing in both popularity and practice. Telecommuting has gained significant use in recent years, and serves not only to make the work environment more convenient, but also lends itself quite nicely to the green movement.

With the number of self-employed people and individuals working in primarily virtual environments, telecommuting can be surprisingly easy to establish. With the involvement of a skilled IT team, networking home and workplace systems can prove simple and efficient. Research indicates that a growing number of employers already offer the option of telecommuting, and around 20 to 30 million employees are already working either remotely or from home at least one day out of the week. An increasing number of people who currently commute daily admit that most, if not all, of their job responsibilities could be handled from home.

Telecommuting is not without its challenges. There are certain inescapable obstacles that must be overcome in order for any telework program to be successful. The technological aspects of the practice must be managed properly, including ensuring that the employee involved has the necessary tools to perform their job successfully at home. This can range from laptops and internet connection to phone systems and scanners. Maintaining system security can also be a concern, but are often easily addressed with the proper training and attention to detail. The need to provide remote IT support should also be taken into consideration, since individuals working at home may not have immediate access to the tech experts that may be available onsite.

Aside from the technical aspects, there may be social concerns that need to be addressed as well. Worker isolation, trust issues, and time management and supervision must all be factored in when deciding to implement a telecommuting program or choosing individuals to participate in a program that is already in place.

Despite these challenges, the decision to try telecommuting offers individuals the opportunity to make their own contribution to global well-being. With fewer people traveling, vehicle emissions will drop and air pollution can see a potential downturn. The use of an ever-growing virtual workplace can also assist in these efforts by leading to a decrease in the use of paper (helping to slow down the current rate of deforestation) and by creating less trash to overrun landfills. On an economic note, as the need for work travel lessens, so does the need for fuel and gasoline, resulting in a decreased dependency on foreign oil. Combined with the option of working at home in one's pajamas, it's difficult to see how anyone could fail to see the benefits of telecommuting.

Lawrence Reaves is a strong believer in Gaithersburg IT services such as Gaithersburg virtualization and Gaithersburg enterprise storage. For these services, Lawrence recommends PLANIT Technology Group, which can be found online at: PLANITTech.com.

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