Telecommuting: Why Are Companies Against It?

In a word, despite excuses given, trust and rank.

There is absolutely no reason why. With today's technology, most business entities could allow workers to telecommute in 1-2 days a week and make this a job perk, to reduce the commute by car to do exactly what you can do from home. Most don't. They simply find it hard to believe and get out of the mind set that someone who works from home is not working the same as if they were in the office. They think the worker is goofing off while being paid and just feel more secure that having them in the office because it reduces non-work time.

That is an illusion to a degree. One can easily have several non-work hours in a day or week. Working from home can be as monitored as if you were in the office, if the technology is employed. Take Bank of America, they have it. They have hired many working from diverse locations across the country. Training is virtual to learn their systems. They demand that you are logged into their VPN between 8-5 and have devices that will indicate if you are or are not. You are assigned to a group, attend online meetings and it is the same as if you were there, 3000 miles away. If you are not active on the keyboard for a certain amount of time, you are logged out.

Basically, BofA knows when you are logged in or not. The one thing they really don't know is are you working. However, every week there are group meetings online and each person will tell the group what they are working on and when completion of an assignment will occur.

Also, BA provides you with their special laptop that is Fedexed to wherever you live and then setup at a local branch. You might think of ripping BA off for it. The laptop would be totally worthless to you. There is nothing you can do with it because of the numerous security software. For instance, no downloading or loading from a CD\DVD or flash drive without passwords, which you do not have. Of course, the computer itself could be taken apart. But if you do not return it, then, the local police are informed.

So, telecommuting is being done and is just like any job but for the long commute into work. Many firms do not have the BA setup, and whether you are working or not from home is all based on trust they have in you and rank. Sometimes, only managers or designated others have this perk, which hurts office morale, especially if the type of work is similar.

Companies should allow telecommuting and allow those with the longest commute to have the option and those living within 30 min., come to the office.