|
Reprinted from Keep the Joint Running.
|
ManagementSpeak: I make it a point to buffer my employees from the burden of too many meetings outside the department.
Translation: I want to be the only one who gets any exposure.
I’d thank this week’s contributor by name, but she was concerned about the kind of exposure she’d have received.
|
Companies built from the ground up to either include a remote
workforce or to consist of nothing but remote employees … in other
words, virtual enterprises … can save quite a bit compared to providing
cubicles.
Saving quite a bit isn’t the same as free, though. Among the
reasons: While the case law isn’t entirely settled, there’s a pretty
good bet the employer is responsible for providing a safe work
environment whether that work environment is on premises or in the home.
That’s why, if you plan to allow or encourage telecommuting of any kind, you must talk with HR.
Sheldon Bird, Technology Director, Natural Resources Agencies, Maine
Office of Information Technology was very clear on this point:
“If you’re on the clock, ordinarily you’re protected
by Workers’ Compensation laws, varying by state. If you’re driving your
own car to the post office for the boss and you’re injured in an
accident, usually the employer’s Workers’ Compensation is on the hook.
“I had an employee slip and fall in someone else’s parking lot
walking to a meeting in another office. I had one on coffee break at
his work bench slice his cornea with a newspaper while reading the
funnies. Liable. OK.
“We work hard to provide a safe workplace. What if you’re working
at home and trip over that roller-skate your kid left in the hall on
the way to your coffeepot? And if the employer is liable, do you have
the right to inspect the home office and lay down rules about where the
work is performed, and when the employee is and is not ‘in the
workplace’? Are you prepared for that expense?
“More importantly, we are all aware of repetitive stress injuries
and good ergonomic design. We spend a lot of money on good adjustable
workstations, keyboard trays, monitor stands, chairs, ergo review,
lighting, and training. We conduct stretching sessions for VDT workers.
What must we do for home workers, both to prevent injuries and to
protect ourselves? To what extent can we require these measures as a
condition of telecommuting?
“All this means that employers and their HR departments must
think all these things through and have clear policies and practices in
force. The risks are significant, but even more so for the small
employer if the risk of permanent disability is higher than it would be
at the workplace.”
Nothing is static. A recurring theme in this series has been the
importance of establishing and maintaining personal relationships
through periodic face-to-face contact.
And yet, that experience isn’t universal. One of the game-changers
is the increasing number of “digital natives” in the workplace.
“Digital immigrants” might understand in theory that it’s possible to
build and maintain interpersonal relationships solely through
Internet-enabling mechanisms. Digital natives live their lives this way
— to them, Facebook-based friendships and IM conversations do the job
just fine.
In this vein, a few correspondents described their work in virtual
enterprises as being entirely satisfying. This seemed to correlate with
small companies … it isn’t clear how a company of any size might
succeed in fully virtual fashion. Among the challenges — recruiting,
interviewing and on-boarding new employees.
Mike Gautier points out that the Federal Government provides a
wealth of information on this and other subjects. Search the Office of
Personnel Management [http://www.opm.gov] website. Among other
documents you’ll find A Guide to Telework in the Federal Government which includes quite a bit of useful information.
Assume for the moment that with a properly designed operating model,
strong leadership, appropriate management, and the right technology …
in other words, done right … that most businesses could become fully
virtual.
That would mean most employees at all levels live most of their work
lives through their keyboards and monitors. That narrows the visual
field to less than 10 percent of what real-world experience provides,
and it’s two-dimensional besides.
That raises a question: No matter how well the business works, is
defining the work environment as such an impoverished perceptual
universe really such a good idea?
And finally: As an employee, be careful what you ask for. If you ask
to telecommute, think through your competitive position in the
marketplace first. As long-time subscriber Leo Heska put it, “If you
can do the work from home, so can an offshore competitor, for 1/5 the
price.”
Once again I’d like to thank the 300+ correspondents who
shared their personal experience with all forms of telecommuting, both
as managed and managing employees. The information they provided was
remarkable, both in terms of its sheer quantity, and its quality.
Robert Lewis is president of IT Catalysts, Inc., a consultancy focused on improving IT organizational effectiveness and integration with the enterprise. Contact him at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
.
Copyright 2009, IS Survivor Publishing, all rights reserved.
Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register. |
