Telecommuting - Initial Considerations
I think telecommuting is a terrific idea. But a company should think out their telecommuting policies up front. Here are some issues that I've seen cause problems for companies that haven't set up clear policies in advance.
Some areas of risk if you use telecommuters:
If they get hurt, does workers compensation cover it?
How do you know if they have a safe work environment? Can you go check?
What about trade secrets? Does letting employees work from home put your trade secrets at risk?
What about vacations? Where do you draw the line between working at home; working at a second home at the beach; working at a beach resort?
How do your management skills need to change to manage telecommuters?
And just so we don't get scared away from a great idea, remember
When your employees telecommute, you can save money on facilities
When your employees telecommute, they have more free time, so can focus on work more fully during work hours
When your employees telecommute, they spend less on gas, parking and auto overhead
When your employees telecommute, they put less pollutants in the air and reduce rush hour traffic
When your employees telecommute, minor family scheduling problems don't result in a whole day off work
