Telecommuting

Dunno, Gezzy. I deal with a couple of companies that let their bookkeepers work from home. Other than that, it looks most people doing it have been regular employees for awhile, and found or made their opportunity through the existing job.

I get paid $$ for each inane post/response I type on online forums.

I'm rich.

Roger
I know it's getting pretty popular and there will come a time that there will be a demand for people who are willing to work at home since it saves the employer lots of $ seeing they don't have to pay for the office space and it also saves the employee traveling expenses. Bookkeeping would be right up my alley and something I'd be interested in getting into again as long as I could do it at home. The winters can be pretty harsh here and hard to get down our private road at times, which would make going to work very stressful. Sometimes we are stranded here for a week at a time, so I have to find a way around that.

Slappy
LOL, you bust be a Billionaire ;-)

I bust be I is.

I used to telecommute (I was a legal auditor and was on the road 200+ days/year, so this was kind of a consolation).

One downside for employers is the opportunity for massive goof-off time by the employee. And things pull at you, even if you're a diligent worker - the laundry needs folding, the dog wants to go for a walk, the baby is crying, the garden needs weeding, whatever. I often found myself working 12 hour days in order to put in a real 7- or 8-hour day.

Another thing is the question of insurance and repetitive stress injuries. At the time, I worked for a major insurance carrier, and they were extremely careful about setting up your office desk in an ergonomically correct fashion (I think they were concerned about carpal tunnel claims). Not so at home - I worked off a card table and sat on a hard bench. No one came over to check height, wrist position, etc. I only did this for a couple of years, but I could've had serious damage if I'd been working that way for a decade or more. And then whose insurance kicks in? Is it Workers' Comp? Health insurance? Something else? Was the employer required to come into my home (and the home of everyone else like me) and check our arrangements?

A downside for employees is missing out on office things. I used to go in once per week (unless I was out auditing all week) and hence could do basic stuff like pick up/drop off mail and make copies, but I also got in on what was going on in the office. Networking opportunities can be lost when you work at home. Your only attendance at meetings is virtual or by speaker phone (at my last job - a different one from the one I'm describing above - a colleague used to describe gestures and body language whenever we did speaker phone meetings, except she would say things like "___ is shaking her head yes" Huh? Shaking your head means "no" in the US - totally confusing to the folks on the phone, I'm sure). You miss out on impromptu things that might enhance your career. At the same time, you also get to miss stuff that you don't want, such as extra meetings or being pushed to rush on something because you're the only body available.

Bosses are often scared of telecommuters because they (the bosses) feel they can't closely supervise someone. While auditing, I was away so much that I had a pretty decent trust relationship with my boss, but I had also been auditing for a year before I started telecommuting. It's hard to jump straight into it if you're a brand-new employee.

Hope this helps.

Gezzy,

I'd echo what Jes has said, I work from home 3 days a week and the two days in the office are essential to get the interpersonal relationship stuff done and to feel part of the place.

It does have its advantages and will require planning and the cooperation of all family members and friends if it is to work.

Ideas include on line stuff like Slapp Doo Hoo mentioned or Telesales , there are a range of service organisations now requiring mobile or location independent workers, which could make your home the focus.

Best of luck.

Jespah and hiama
Thanks for taking the time to give me the ups and downs. All this info helps a lot. I will be spending the next few years looking into it. With the winters as bad as they are here, the only other avenue for me would be to get a seasonal job and collect unemployment in the winter, which I don't want to do. My son is almost grown and my computer is in a quiet area, so there wouldn't be any distractions.

Thanks again for your help :-)

Slappy
Of all people to catch my typo, LOL!

Also, when you get into it, be clear on whether you are an employee or a contractor. It makes quite a difference in the US, tax wise and otherwise. Canada probably has different but equally important distinctions.

Very good point Roger. Thank you :-)

Glad to help, ask any time.

Why thank you hiama. I appreciate that ;-)

gezzy - i worked mostly from home for about 5 years. It is not easy - jes and hiama have covered off most of the points.

To begin with, to get into a good telecommute job, you usually have to be trusted staff to begin with. You also have to be clear that you are going to be able to go in to the office when the employer needs you to. Where I am now, a couple of the guys got pulled in for close to 6 months due to needs in the office. It was an unexpected expense for them, and caused some caregiving difficulties for one.

jes' comments about the physical set-up are interesting. My last employer pulled in ALL of their telecommuters due to 1 potential WSIB claim. Not worth it to them anymore.

My big problem with it was forgetting to stop working. My employer definitely got its money's worth, and then some, from me. It ruined
a relationship.

Think very long and hard about all realistic options available to you.

Beth
Thanks so much. I will keep all of this in mind as I decide what I want to do.