Telecommuting

Telecommuting refers to workers doing their jobs from home for part of each week and communicating with their office using computer technology. How do you think society will be affected by the growth of telecommuting?

In the world of business, telecommuting is one the fastest growing trends which has impacted people’s personal and professional lives and has given a new shape to the society.

Telecommuting has redesigned the conventional work relationships. It has put an end to the concept of long-term employment and has given popularity to the realm of contractual work (Nilles, 1994). Contractual jobs allow people to work in their field of interest and exploit their full potential, allowing them to enhance their productivity. It gives them more leisure time to spend with their loved ones and in general has resulted in an increased gross national happiness level of the society.

Telecommuting has played a pivotal role in increasing the employment opportunities globally. A rising trend in the number of fresh startups can also be seen as a result of telecommuting since it allows individuals to turn their homes into offices, allowing them to save up on costs and ignoring the hassle of setting up offices. Moreover, telecommuting has benefitted the society and preserved the environment by reducing the vehicle miles traveled, the traffic congestion on road and the usage of fuel (Hawkins, 1999).

Although telecommuting has benefited the employers, employees and the society in various ways, there are several drawbacks and costs related to telecommuting. It has led to increased insecurities amongst the employers and employees and has created a barrier between the two. It also makes it difficult for both of them to adhere to the labor and employment laws (Hawkins, 1999). Moreover, telecommuting may give a feeling of isolation to the employee and may affect his professional and personal life adversely.

To conclude, telecommunication has given a new shape to the society and its benefits can outweigh all the costs if implemented correctly.