Telework - a Work at Home Revolution

A Home Business Article Contributed by Teresa Phillips

Who's Working from Home and Why?

28 million U.S. workers now work from home, either at their own home business or for others. We refer to them as teleworkers, or telecommuters. They do so for a variety of reasons.

Perhaps they are trailing spouses who wanted to keep their job; perhaps they have children or family situations that require more home time than a lengthy commute could accommodate; perhaps they're disabled or agoraphobic; perhaps they just love the autonomy and casualness of getting up in the morning, putting on a pot of coffee, showering - perhaps changing out of their 'jammies' or not - and sitting down in the next room to an uninterrupted day of work at home.

What do Employers Get out of Allowing Employees to Work at Home?

Employers, though at first reluctant, have jumped on the work at home (telework)bandwagon in droves - primarily because their employees demanded it. Legislation has been an impetus as well. In areas where congestion and smog are issues, the U.S. federal government has threatened to withdraw federal road construction funding if the communities do not comply. Several states have issued tax credits, monetary rewards and free equipment to employers who allow their employees to work from home or other telework locations, such as telework centers.

Being seen as a good neighbor is important to these firms as well. Being a part of the smog and congestion solution can impact their bottom line favorably. Being the employer of choice impacts turnover and recruitment in a very positive way. Real estate costs are reduced as folks stay home to work and work space is shared by two or more employees.

So, Who's the Ideal Work at Home Candidate?

Perhaps you've thought about working from home but you're just not sure you'd be as productive. Would you turn on the TV instead? Spend the day raiding the refrigerator? Be lonely? The best way to tell might be to address these concerns with your supervisor and ask for a 60-90 day trial run. Or, if you're thinking about your own business, you might take a second shift or weekend position and try staying at home throughout the day working for yourself. Then, if the trial period seems successful, you can quit your job and work from home full time.

Work at Home Questions to Ask Yourself

You can also consider the following questions: Are you self-disciplined enough to work from home? Can you complete projects on time without a lot of supervision and feedback? Are you in the habit of resolving problems yourself? Do you procrastinate? Do you have strong organizational and time management skills? Do you know enough about your firm's procedures and policies that you can comply without constant procedural checks?

Are you familiar enough with staff titles and tasks and have a strong enough working relationship with coworkers and managers that you would feel comfortable contacting them from home when necessary? Do you have job tasks that can be measured and quantified? Is your home office ergonomically correct, safe and comfortable? Would your family be supportive? And, might you be a workaholic personality that might never know enough to close the home office door and go have a life?

If you can answer yes to the above questions, you are the ideal teleworker. If, however, no is the answer to some of the above work at home questions, then you have two choices - decide teleworking is not for you, or improve those skill areas that would keep you from succeeding at a work at home job or business.