7 Great Parts of My Telework Experience… So Far

by Jeremy on June 15, 2009

Telecommute.
Creative Commons License photo credit: _e.tOver the past few months I have written more than a couple of posts about telecommuting and telework.  I am huge fan of the movement and I truly believe that it is where business is headed. Anyway, about a month ago, I was finally put in a place where I am working through the company in full telecommuting role.  So now not only does it seem like a great concept to me, it is proving out to be great in reality.  Why is it great?

Creative Commons License photo credit: dominic bartolini

1. Dress Code

I have to start with the dress code.  It is a great perk of telecommuting.  Almost every day, I have been worn shorts and sandals.  What an amazing perk of working at a home office.

2. Gas Mileage

Okay, maybe it hasn’t improved my gas mileage but I guarantee that it has decreased the number of trips to the pump.  A little over a year ago, I had a 27 mile one-way commute.  Now, it’s like 20 stairs.

3. Cafeteria

Being able to run to the kitchen and grab breakfast or lunch and not having to go out to eat (except when I want to) has been great.  I have been able to enjoy the breakfasts that aren’t in bar form!

4. Traffic

With the exception of the dog getting in my way on the stairs… no traffic.  Excellent route to work! No accidents, speed traps, or congestion.
Buddha dog
Creative Commons License photo credit: SuperFantastic

5. Coffee

Purchased the type of coffee I like and I am now just trying to figure out how much I need to put in to get the flavor I want for the number of cups I drink.

6. Water cooler talk

The water cooler talk is now Twitter/FB/Blog/IM talk.  It is much easier to be productive while being involved in those types of talk than at the water cooler/coffee pot/cube farm.

7. Pandora and Speakers

Finally have had a chance to really try out Pandora.com.  Great tool.  Oh and no headphones!!  I can actually use speakers now!  Very cool.

Sure, these are funny benefits of telecommuting but I must say that it has been great.  I feel more productive, more energized, and more free without the gray walls of a cubicle.  I highly recommend it.

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Tagged as: remote work, Telecommuting, Telework, Virtual Office

  • Stacey Wright

    I LOVE love love working from home…. I love your #1 too… I don’t have to spend NEARLY as much $ on clothes now that I work from home. I have been doing it for 3 years now and have felt so lucky to be able to do it.

    GE is slowly moving in the telework direction. Some managers have a hard time embracing it, but I’m hoping that as new employees start to work from home (productively) that it will change their mentality.

    I’m so productive now, I have to ask for more work to do because what I have on my plate is not enough. All of the extra trips to the cafeteria, talking to my coworkers, walking (sometimes driving) to meetings, etc. has been eliminated.

    Win! Win! LOVE IT!

  • http://www.refocusingtechnology.com Jeremy Lattimore

    Stacey,

    Thank you for your comments. I definitely think that many companies will be using telecommuting as an option if not requiring it in the fairly near future. It makes so much sense. Given some people will need to change and management styles will change as well.

    It has a great many benefits and I think that they will definitely play out in the future.

    Jeremy

  • http://www.telesaur.com Telesaur

    @Stacey – Slow movement towards telework is better than no movement! Asking for more work to do is a great way to highlight how your productivity is increasing. Very nice.

    @Jeremy – Another great post! And I’m glad to hear the telework experience has been good to you so far! There are challenges, but anyone in sandals and shorts and a will to stay that way is sure to handle them! I’ve never delved deep with Pandora.com either. It would be fun to learn how it works out for you…

  • http://www.refocusingtechnology.com Jeremy Lattimore

    Telesaur,

    Glad that you stopped by and left feedback. I definitely agree with your sentiment that some movement is better than no movement. At least a small amount shows that things are moving, which hasn’t been the case until now.

    I definitely have enjoyed my telework so far. It has been an adjustment but it is definitely something that I enjoy. I will keep you informed as to how it goes on a longer term.

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