What is Telecommuting?

With all of the hustle and bustle in todays modernSince telecommuters do not work from an office, they
workplace, some people have chosen a different path.are able to choose their work hours and can work
Those who dread the everyday commute to workfrom virtually anywhere in the world.
and the long hours in a cubicle have turned toOther individuals outside of the business sector are
telecommuting for the opportunity to work as anlooking to telecommuting in a non-business manner and
independent employee. Telecommuting, also known asare encouraging this type of work in hopes of
e-commuting or e-work, is the term used whenbettering the condition of the environment.
individuals take advantage of the many technologicalTelecommuting greatly decreases the amount of
advances to work from anywhere they desire, givingmotorists on the road, therefore decreasing the
themselves flexibility in their hours and work locations.amount of pollution in the air. Since 1996,
In todays job market there are endless obstacles thattelecommuters have been in conjunction with the
must be overcome in order to find a good job. Manygovernment after the passing of the Clean Air Act
skilled workers who do not live in an area where theirthat encourages car pools, more use of buses and
preferred business is prevalent will oftentimes besubways, as well as telecommunication.
required to move or take jobs outside of their market.Although the field is more convenient and flexible, not
Telecommuting has allowed for decentralization fromeveryone is meant to be a telecommuter. Individuals
the traditional workplace and enabled individuals towho choose this field are often their own supervisors
work where they choose. These opportunities areand have to depend on themselves to get their work
great for one-parent homes or homes where only onecompleted correctly and on time. There usually is not
parent is able to work. Telecommunication also allowsanyone there to observe their work or encourage
anyone with physical obstacles the ease of workingthem to work a certain way. Telecommuters must
from home. Some workplaces make it difficult for ahave an independent nature and be able to work well
handicapped person to travel to work easily andunder strict time constraints, due to the usual large
telecommuting gives those individuals the security theyworkload.
need to be able to earn a living.Of course, there are some disadvantages to
In the past, becoming a telecommuter proved difficulttelecommuting rather than working in the traditional
due to the lack of technology and workloads.way. For one, many telecommuters receive
Nowadays it is easier than ever to become asignificantly larger workloads than employees working
telecommuter because of the vast technologiesin an office due to their lack of time constraints. There
available that make working from home easier andare often various distractions that can hinder a
more convenient. Telecommuting is simpler now withtelecommuter from getting work done, whether they
the use of tools such as wireless Internet,are family or other daily duties. Also, the lack of a
videoconferencing, and Broadband phones, which havemanagerial figure can sometimes make it difficult for
steadily become cheaper to get and more efficientlytelecommuters to clearly define their objectives and
made. These tools allow for constant contact withjob duties.
businesses, making it possible to work anytime of day.