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Telecommuting Backlash
coondoggie writes to tell us that advocates of the telecommute have stood up against recent finger pointing based on recent telecommuter screw ups. One of the more notable screw up was the recent loss of many veteran's personal information by a VA employee. From the article: "Despite years of growing acceptance, telework still has such detractors. 'The No. 1 challenge is cultural inertia. It's motivating the middle managers, teaching them a new way of doing work,' O'Keeffe says. 'It's the Luddite mentality that we need to change.'"
"It's motivating the middle managers, teaching them a new way of doing work."
For hundreds of years, America has done just fine with people getting up at a certain time each day, and gathering at a particular place to do work as a group. I am tired of these new-age hippies with their "let's redefine work" attitude. We don't need to be taught a "new way of doing work."
If telecommuting was such a great idea, productivity would be up, and every company would be rushing to send their workers home. At best, telecommuting is only as good as being in the office, and at worst, it is less productive. In no way shape or form, is it "better" than being in the office. (Better for an employee who doesn't want to come into work, sure. Not better for the company as a whole.) Telecommuting is good in a some situations, like when your child is sick and you need to stay home that day. However, it is not an everday solution.
Why do people seem intent on shoving telecommuting down our throats as the greatest way of working? It does not increase productivity. It does not save costs. It does not lead to lower stress and thus higher profits. It just doesn't work that way. It is hard to get work done when Steve isn't responding to your emails. However, if you were in the same building as he is, you could go finding him in accounting flirting with the new receptionist and get your work done faster. Google, Apple and any other "open minded" company you want to name all require you to come into a particular building at a specific time.
I am going to propose "non-work" as the next big working craze. Not working increases employee happiness, thus leading to better productivity, which leads to higher profits, obviously. A non-working environment leads to greater harmony among employees.