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Subject:RE: Commute/Flex work options a Deal breaker? From:Melissa Nelson <melmis36 -at- hotmail -dot- com> To:Gene Kim-Eng <techwr -at- genek -dot- com>, <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:12:42 -0400
When I worked from home the availability by IM thing was supposed to be basically what Gene states below. My manager wanted it to be as easy to contact me about a quick change to a document (which happened all the time on that job) at home as easily as he could if I were down the hall in my cube. That kind of contact is not always about babysitting the writer, believe me at that place any writer who needed babysitting would not have lasted long in a cube or at home.
I have to say I am with the people who do not like the idea of a Web Cam to monitor people that work from home. I might accept it if I could find one of those already made up faces that Jane Jetson used to have! ;)
Melissa
> From: techwr -at- genek -dot- com> To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Subject: Re: Commute/Flex work options a Deal breaker?> Date: Mon, 30 Jun 2008 08:23:25 -0700> > The main reasons for IM/phone availability are for the employee> to be as easy to reach as if he/she was in the office, and to help> deal with grumbles from upper management if they wander into> the office and see that someone isn't at his/her desk. Otherwise,> it wouldn't be that much of an issue, because I wouldn't approve> telecommuting for any employee who had not already established> a track record of meeting or beating productivity expectations> when in the office or whose productivity exhibited any sign of> deterioration after telecommuting began. I don't hire or retain > professional employees who need babysitting. Maybe if they > were hourly nonexempts...> > Gene Kim-Eng> > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "kelly keck" <kelly -dot- keck -at- imagine-one -dot- com>> > That sounds very reasonable. I think that the key is establishing> > whether "working from home" means having a flexible schedule or set> > hours. And if the schedule is flexible, is the worker responsible for> > still having a core time to be available by phone or IM? Either way, the> > expectations need to be clear between the supervisor and the> > employee--as well as anybody who needs to get a hold of that employee. > > > > To me, the relevant question is not "Is Bob sitting at his computer from> > 8:00 to 12 and from 1 to 5?" but "Is Bob accomplishing the things he> > needs to accomplish and providing the other team members with what they> > need from him to do their jobs?" Whether he's slacking off should be> > easy to determine. Either things are getting done or they're not.> .> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> > Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or > printed documentation. Features include support for Windows Vista & 2007 > Microsoft Office, team authoring, plus more.> http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList> > True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help.> Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical> documentation. Boost your productivity! http://www.helpandmanual.com> > ---> You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as melmis36 -at- hotmail -dot- com -dot- > > To unsubscribe send a blank email to > techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/melmis36%40hotmail.com> > > To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> > Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- Visit> http://www.techwr-l.com/ for more resources and info.>
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Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or
printed documentation. Features include support for Windows Vista & 2007
Microsoft Office, team authoring, plus more. http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList
True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help.
Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical
documentation. Boost your productivity! http://www.helpandmanual.com
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