Telecommuting: Distributed Work Programs

The time has come to make the art of telecommuting and its synonyms, the virtual office, or telework, into a science. Benefits for the employee and to the company are available. Several million contract, regular, full-time, or part-time people now are active participants in either formal or informal programs. Obviously the technology to make these concepts viable is here; however, more important than the technology needed to make these programs work is the change in management style needed to get the full benefits of these new working arrangements. Several companies have more than three years experience with employees in satellite centers, hoteling, or working at home. This experience shows that corporate policies are affected by these changes and must be considered before attempting to take advantage of the new arrangements.