What is Telecommuting?

The common perception of telecommuting is of work involving information technology that can be decentralized due to the capability for rapid information transfer. Although this simple definition appears to adequately describe the nature of telecommuting, social scientists have shown that such a classification becomes problematic. One of the most precise definitions available can be found in Huws, Korte, and Robinson's landmark study on distance work issues. Telecommuting is working, in which,

How Significant is Telecommuting as a Part of the Changing Nature of Work due To Computerization of the Workplace?

Social scientists have identified telecommuting as one of the most prevalent and socially dramatic changes that have resulted from the information revolution. As Rob Page of LAN magazine said, "it is certainly no secret that our society is moving away from a manufacturing and industrial focus and becoming an information-driven machine.... The nascent markets of the 1990s are based on value-added services which are typically the result of adept information management." [2] Jobs based on information are obviously more suited for telecommuting than manufacturing based positions, where the materials cannot be easily transported. This is exactly the effect that we are seeing. The Federal Department of Transportation projects as many as 15 million telecommuters in 2002--about 10.5 percent of the total workforce. This is a gain of 650 percent over the next 10 years, with half of the growth occurring in the last 3 years. Also predicted, is a tremendous reduction of the blue collar workforce, down to about 5 percent by 2010. [3] However, this is not simply an effect predicted to occur at some point in the future. As of 1998, approximately 7.6 million Americans are full time telecommuters and sixty two percent of all American companies offer some type of telecommuting program. [4]

Who Is Most Effected By Telecommuting?

Despite cultural gender stereotypes surrounding gender and technology, the overwhelming majority of telecommuters are in fact women. The United States "Report on the Home Office Computing Survey of Telecommuting Practices" discovered that over half of the companies in the US report that over at least 70% of their telecommuters were women. [5] Twenty five percent claimed that all their telecommuters were female" The reasons for this phenomena have not yet been carefully researched, however most social scientists suspect that it is related to North American gender role which demands that women must care for the children in a family. In fact, a 1995 study by Telecommute American showed that roughly 75% of American teleworkers claimed that they chose to telecommute in order to "balance work and family life". [6] Although this data does not conclusively link telecommuting to caring for children, it is definitely suggestive of the trend. Furthermore, most of the data gathered from companies about their teleworkers indicates a definite gender difference in reasons cited for telecommuting. While most men often indicate that they telecommute in order to save money and have less direct supervision, women, who constitute the vast majority of teleworkers, almost invariably cite family considerations. [7] In terms of worker class, studies show that telecommuting is an almost classless phenomena, with telecommuters ranging from low level clerks to highly paid executives. This broad range of telecommuters is indicative of its widespreadedness and importance. It is not simply a new work style which effects a small elite percentage of the population, but rather a fundamental shift in how all work is being done as a whole. [8] Just as the industrial revolution brought work out of the home into centralized factories and offices, the information revolution is bringing it back into the home.

-- unfortunetly as of 3/98 now hard data is available on the relationship between telecommuting men and whether or not they have young children

What Are the Advantages of Telecommuting?

From the Corporate Perspective:

1. Worker productivity is increased by about 15%

Many statistics are available to support this claim. One of the most studied and publicized telecommuting experiments occurred at a company known as Antelope Valley Health Net. Their statistics show that productivity is 15 percent higher for telecommuters than for non-telecommuters. In another example, The City of Los Angeles found a 12.5 percent increase in productivity when workers were given telecommuting assignments.. Many other studies confirm this data, usually stating around a 15% increase in the productivity of workers. [9]

2. Corporate real estate costs are cut dramatically

Studies have shown that companies that have instituted telecommuting programs have had real estate costs cut by anywhere between 25% and 90%. Recently, IBM eliminated 22 million square feet of office space, the equivalent of eight Empire State buildings, shifting to a telecommuting/"hoteling" system, where workers who need floorspace must reserve it temporarily. Under the new system, 850 workers share 200 desks, resulting in 70 million dollars in real estate savings. In a similar case, AT&T was able to cut its real estate costs by 50 percent at its New Jersey site by starting a telecommuting program. [10]

From the Worker Perspective:

1. Dramatically increase free time by eliminating transportation time and allowing the worker to schedule their day to maximize performance

The average commute for the urban American worker is a little less than one hour each way, most of which is spent stuck in traffic on the crowded city highways. Workers who telecommute have this extra time to rest, finish up their work, or spend time with their families. In a test done by the City of Los Angeles with 500 workers, worker satisfaction was so high that the program was expanded to include 15,000 workers. [11]

2. Allowing those who cannot work in the traditional workplace to have jobs

As was stated earlier, woman comprise roughly 70% of the telecommuting population. Many of these women are mothers with young children, who cannot leave the house to work everyday. Additionally, the disabled, who would have a difficult time getting to and working in the traditional office setup can work productively at home. [12]

3. Allowing for workers to spend more time with their families

Many teleworkers have reported that telecommuting allows them to integrate their work successfully with their family life, permitting them to spend time with loved ones whereas before they could not. This is especially true for workers who work long hours, who without telecommuting, scarcely see their families at all. [13]

From Society's Perspective:

Lower our national oil consumption which would:

1. Clean up air pollution

2. Ease the load on transportation systems

3. Lower our dependence on foreign oil imports

Transportation is the main source of US oil consumption, accounting for over 65% of all oil used in this country. Over 100 cities in the United States violate the ozone air quality standard, and 30-40% of the pollutants contributing to this problem come from transportation, consisting mostly of highway vehicle emissions. If only 5% of Los Angeles workers telecommuted, the air pollution in that city would be reduced by 94 million tons per year. Additionally, the Department of Energy reports that if current telecommuting trends continue, the addition of 3,300 lane-miles to the current 4,500 lane miles of freeways can be avoided. This would significantly reduce traffic problems, reduce our oil consumption, and improve our environment. [13]

What are the Disadvantages of Telecommuting?

There are few known disadvantages to the corporation from telecommuting. Despite the common belief that unsupervised workers are not as productive, numerous studies have shown that this is simply not the case, as was stated above. Most of the problems associated with telework effect the worker (and consequently, society).

1. Few possibilities for career advancement

The Huws, Korte and Robinson study found that in their sample group none of the workers felt that their possibility for promotion or career advancement had increased due to telecommuting. In fact, many reported that their decision to commute was "career suicide", as without face to face contact with their managers, they were unlikely to be chosen for promotions or assigned to their top choices for projects. [14]

2. Social Isolation

Telecommuting separates each individual worker from the team of employees found at the office. This undoubtedly leads to feelings of isolation, as workers cannot associate with their colleagues. Although it is difficult to quantify how isolated a worker feels in hard data, it should be fairly obviously that a worker who is telecommuting definitely loses an important part of his social interaction. [15]

3. Destruction of the Home as a Sanctuary

In our society the home is viewed as a sanctuary, a place to escape the toils of work. A study by Bell Atlantic showed that over 70% of workers "value the separation of their home life from their work life." Telecommuting cuts right through this precious boundary, denying the worker any distinct separation from their home and work life. [16]