Want to save money on gas? Work at home. It´s that simple. Or is it? Despite the obvious benefits to workers, and the fact that it reduces pollutants and demand for dwindling oil, most managers are reluctant to let workers telecommute. It boils down to this: Managers prefer to see their staffs, to have employees nearby. That way, they´re available for face-to-face meetings, but also managers can know for sure that work is getting done.

That´s just dumb.

If you want to be sure someone is working, just monitor their deliverables: the architect´s blueprints, the reporter´s articles, the auditor´s spreadsheets—you get the idea. If a telecommuter isn´t getting the job done, managers will find out soon enough.

You know telecommuting makes sense, but you must explain to your boss why it benefits the company. To help, we´ve reprinted a sample memo you can adapt to your needs. It´s from our book, The Telecommuter´s Handbook. Send the memo to your boss to help make your case for telecommuting!

TO: Bill Sharp

FROM: Jack Rogers

SUBJECT: Telecommuting at Acme Publishing

Telecommuting Defined

Telecommuting means working for a company from a home office or another remote location (e.g., a satellite office or "on the road"), for one or more days a week. Most telecommuters use computers, broadband Internet connections, fax machines, email, and the like to do their jobs and stay in touch with their offices. Hundreds of companies have telecommuters, including many in the publishing field.

What makes a job suitable for Telecommuting?

It doesn´t require face-to-face interaction every day.

It has clearly defined and measurable tasks.

It´s portable. That is, it doesn´t require a lot of resources available only at a central location. Or, if resources are needed, they can be accessed through the Internet (through a Virtual Private Network, for example).

What´s in it for Acme publishing?

Handled right, telecommuting is a win-win situation. Both the company and the employee stand to gain. These are some of the benefits to the company.

Increased Productivity. Telecommuters are an average of 20 percent more productive than their office-based counterparts, according to Professor Jack Niles, the "father of telecommuting" and a telecommuting consultant to Fortune 500 companies. Freed from lengthy commutes and the distractions of an office, telecommuters work for longer stretches. They can also work when they are at their best: morning people early in the morning; night owls, later in the day.

Money Savings. An employee who works from home is not using company resources such as parking spaces, bathrooms and lunch-rooms, computer equipment, desks, chair, etc.



Fewer Sick Days. People who work from home will often still work with colds or other minor ailments. Office workers with these ailments, on the other hand, may just stay home and call it a "sick day."

Easier Recruiting. Companies like Hewlett-Packard have found that telecommuting is an excellent recruiting tool. For example, if we could tell prospective employees that telecommuting is an option here, we could better compete for scarce talent. This is especially important when recruiting highly sought after talent. Although you may not want a new hire working from home, that person could be allowed to do so after six months or a year.

Reduced Turnover. Companies such as New York Life now know that telecommuting programs reduce turnover markedly. It´s clear and simple: valued employees who may have otherwise left stayed on once the company made telecommuting available. They include employees whose spouses were transferred or who received other offers.

Better Morale. Telecommuters are happier. They appreciate the improved flexibility telecommuting brings to their lives. They also like working in synch with their body clocks. It´s also a good feeling to know you are accomplishing more than you were before, and are therefore a more valuable company employee.

How it might proceed at Acme publishing

We should start small. Employees may, for instance, telecommute only one day a week to start. Those with clearly defined and measurable tasks (say a copy editor reviewing a new manuscript) would be a good test case.

Telecommuting could be rolled out according to the following schedule:

1.Managers are briefed on telecommuting. They learn more about it, what its benefits are, and for whom it´s suitable. They are also given some hints about managing employees from afar. Possible candidates are discussed.

2.Telecommuters are selected. This should be entirely voluntary, of course. Some factors that managers may want to consider, though, are whether the employee has a suitable home office. Also, how self motivated is the employee? Telecommuters must work well without close supervision. Not everyone does. Telecommuting is also not a good idea for employees who are new to the company.

3.Telecommuters are briefed on what will be expected of them, and how they can retain ties to the office while working from home.

4.Telecommuting begins. Again, it starts gradually. A core of people gets it underway.

5.Program evaluation. Telecommuters and their managers are called in after a month or so to discuss how it´s working. Possible problems are brought out and discussed and the program is amended accordingly.

Thanks for your time!