Remember when snow days meant a free day off? I don’t mean when you were a kid and they closed school. I mean when the weather was so bad and the commute so treacherous that they closed the office “due to inclement weather.” Forget it…that just doesn’t happen anymore. We’ve been undone by ease of technology. Now, even in a blizzard we can rely on lightning-fast computers, expanded networking connectivity and a work-from-anywhere attitude to put in our regular workday.
A recent story on NPR told of one company that requires all of its employees to telecommute. In fact, they don’t even have an office to go to if they wanted to—they are a virtual company. Telecommuting is no longer a novelty, it’s gone mainstream, but this difficult economy has made some people reluctant to work from home. They worry about visibility and maintaining a good rapport with their manager.
According to a 2009 survey by WorldatWork, a global human resources association that studies telework as a tool to attract, motivate and maintain employees, the number of employee telecommuters in the U.S. increased 39 percent between 2006 and 2008. While nearly 34 million workers engage in some telecommuting practices, the survey also showed that there is a shift away from full-time telework to occasional telework.
Still, for those of us who recently ended up working at home by accident rather than on purpose, workplace consultant Debra Dinnocenzo, president of VirtualWorks, offers these tips:
• Keep in frequent touch with team members, clients, partners and colleagues. This is especially true of work associates in areas not affected by current emergency situations such as weather conditions. For some people, where the roads are open or the sun is shining, it is just another normal work day. Being available and responsive is important to keep in mind.
• When working from home while family members are there, set ground rules about interruptions and distractions. This is a challenge with young children, but necessary when work must be done.
• Focus on the tasks that are most critical and can best be accomplished while telecommuting. Tackling writing projects, e-mail and phone calls are compatible with the circumstances most teleworkers face in working remotely.
Says Dinnocenzo, “During times of crisis, we realize that even though roads and offices are closed, work can still get done. Teleworking is a powerful tool for business continuity.” Dinnocenzo’s company VirtualWorks specializes in the virtual workplace, offering training and consulting on telecommuting, virtual teams and work-life balance for the digital age.
I think the best commentary I saw about snow days and telecommuting came from one of my favorite writers, Joan Indiana Rigdon, whose ForbesWoman column remains a regular read of mine. These following words of wisdom to employers come from her Feb. 11 column—writes Rigdon:
“Take inspiration from this blizzard. Let the moms, dads and child-free on your staff work from home when they can, even when driving to work won’t kill them. Pay them for actual projects, finished and delivered, no matter where they do the work. Let them figure how often they need to show their faces to get their jobs done and still be remembered at bonus time. Fire the ones who fail and hire more self-motivated ones to replace them. Eventually you’ll end up with a staff of grown-ups who don’t need your hovering, and who can keep your business running through any blizzard. As long as the electricity doesn’t go out.”
Nancy Schuman is a vice president at Lloyd Staffing, headquartered in Melville, and is the author of eight how-to books on career guidance and job-search techniques. Lloyd Staffing offers temporary, contract and full-time employment services on a regional and national basis. Send your career-related questions to nschuman@longislandpress.com.
