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April 16, 2005
Solve the Gas Crisis by Working From Home
Tired of those thumb-sucking high gas prices stories? So are we -- here's a solution
Gas prices are up 29% in Virignia over a year ago, oh my. That's not really a story, but a way for a publication to look like they're "current" by piling on the bad news bandwagon.
Despite all the great and wonderful news about hybrid and hydrogen vehicles, there is a simple way to ease the current gas price problem -- don't drive to work!
Telecommuting is the solution that would put a chunk of money back in workers' pockets, and even help ease demand for gas, which in turn could lead to lower prices.
Driving to work is depressing. I've always felt it was uncompensated labor -- at a minimum of a 40-minute roundtrip commute, that's 3.33 hours a week you're investing in your job and not getting paid for it. In other words, an average commuter spends almost a full week driving to work every year.
With so many companies outsourcing work to Bangalore, there's no reason why telecommuting can't be done in greater numbers in America. Telecommuters are happier and more productive, and cost companies less money to support in terms of office space and employee retention.
If you aren't telecommuting now, you have two options. Convince your boss to let you work from home, full or part-time, or find a new job.
The International Telework Association & Council [ITAC] is an advocacy org that helps people do just that. If you want to turn your present job into a telecommuting arrangement, you may have to do some groundwork. Namely, creating a pilot program that will satisfy your managers that you aren't just trying to get out of work.
ITAC has a couple resources that can be used by employees to get over managerial resistance. For the record, managers can be leery of telecommuting because it represents a change from the "plantation mentality," and they wonder how they are going to manage your productivity.
I loved one quote from the materials. When asked how they knew an employee was being productive, a manager is likely to say, "because I can see them working."
Well every manager knows activity does not equal productivity, right? Sorry for the bad joke, but if you're going to convince your current boss to let you telecommute, you may have to help them do their job -- which includes having a demonstrable method of measuring productivity.
To help your company, and you, make the transition to telecommuting, check out ITAC's free resources, and an eWork guide that sells for $35.
The free presentations I learned the most from were, Creating a Great Places To Work: Telecommuting Lessons from the "100 Best," and "Making the Telework Case to Management."
If you don't think appeals to logic will get you anywhere at your current job, ITAC has another resources page that lists tools for telecommuting and a link to Careers from Home, a teleworking job board.
Posted by Frank at April 16, 2005 12:25 PM | Filed under Auto News