Re: The telecommuting myth

[Paul Strasser <paul -dot- strasser -at- WINDSOR-TECH -dot- COM>]

I've experienced both telecommuting and on-site.  Both were preferred for
the specific requirements of the tasks at hand.

The telecommuting was for software packages that were essentially complete.
They wanted me to learn a new HAT (switching from D2H to RH) and gave me
both the time to learn the tool and write the help.  I needed almost no
input from the programmers;  when input was needed an email or two took care
of it.  I wanted them to leave me alone.  They did.  We both profited.

More recently I worked in office (with only one or two days per month at
home).  These projects are from the initial planning stages through software
delivery.  For me it's critical to be at site, since the user interface
seems to change daily.  The feedback - in both directions - between myself
and the programmers is both illuminating and necessary.

I personally have no problem working on site, provided that it actually
helps me in my work.

Paul S.
Louisville, CO



-----Original Message-----
From: Linda Miller <linda_k_miller -at- HOTMAIL -dot- COM>
To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU <TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU>
Date: Tuesday, July 06, 1999 8:37 AM
Subject: The telecommuting myth


>From all the postings on this subject, apparently telecommuting is no myth.
>Although most responses were from contractors.
>
>I'm a full-time tech writer for Allegiance, a healthcare products company
>(about 36,000 employees), and I telecommute 2 days a week. I've worked here
>a year and telecommuting 2 days was one of the terms of my accepting the
job
>(although I didn't start telecommuting until I'd been here about 2 months).
>One of the writers already here told me that she telecommuted 2 days and
>that the company was okay with it. However, I found that not everyone in
the
>company has this option. There has to be agreement among the appropriate
>managers that your department and you can operate with you out of the
office
>x number of days a week. In addition, my manager wanted to make sure I had
a
>separate phone line for the RAS (remote access) connection and wanted to
>know who else would be home while I was there. So I think they're still a
>bit nervous about this kind of setup (maybe just because I was a new
hire?).
>
>My husband is an instructional designer for Lucent and telecommutes one day
>a week. We overlap on Friday. My manager doesn't think it's a problem that
>he and I are home on the same day. We have our separate PCs and very
>different work habits, so in truth it's just nice to have lunch together.
>
>At first it was a bit lonely and eerily quiet to work at home during the
>day. For 18 years I worked in a cube at a large corp 5 days a week. But I
>got used to it within a few weeks. In fact when my husband started his one
>day at home, I was little perturbed with his invading my space, but we
>worked it out. Of course now it's summer and I have to put up with the kids
>being at home too, so it's definitely no longer quiet. But I've worked in
>noisy places before.
>
>I do feel a bit out of the office camaderie, but I was never a very social
>person anyway. My family takes up all my free time.
>
>All in all, I'm happy with telecommuting and I think my company's happy
with
>my work and with their other telecommuters.
>
>What you contribute to the job depends on you and your initiatives, not
>whether you're locked up with your co-workers or not.
>
>Just my opinion,
>Linda K. Miller
>
>
>_______________________________________________________________
>Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com
>
>
>From ??? -at- ??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000==
>
>


 From ??? -at- ??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000=