Everything You Need to Know About Telecommuting

Everything You Need to Know About Telecommuting Telecommuting is work arrangement in which the employee works outside the companys office space, typically from home, coffee shops, libraries and other remote co-working spaces.The employee communicates with employers, colleagues and clients via telephone, schmelzglas and communication applications. Sometimes, the employee might pay visits to the office to attend meetings and to touch base with employers, but theres less and less of a need to do so as face-to-face interaction is replaced by virtual face-to-face interaction via mobile and desktop screens.The pros and cons of telecommutingPros of telecommutingTelecommuting can be a great option for both employers and employees. Heres how.Telecommuting allows employers to work with top talent regardless of their location. On the flip side, it allows employees to work with organizations no matter their location.Telecommuting allows employees to set their own schedule and work around persona l obligations and appointments, meaning better work-life balance and higher morale.Telecommuting is proven to boost employee retention, likely due to the aforementioned boost in morale.Both employers and employees save money. Employers dont need to offer amenities, equipment and other expensive office requirements. Meanwhile, employees dont need to pay to commute.Cons of telecommutingAs a former full-time employee of a media company with a somewhat flexible work arrangement, and now a full-time freelance writer with a completely flexible work arrangement, no office space, remote work and my own work schedule, I can tell you from firsthand experience that there are challenges to telecommuting.You have to motivate yourself and hold yourself accountable for your work.Since you make your own schedule, you might find yourself working around the clock and burning out.You might suffer from isolation as the result of working from home, solo.Youll probably spend mora money to work from coffe e shops, cafes or co-working spaces than you would spend on a commute.Vacations might become harder to take if you struggle to set boundaries between work and play.Does telecommute mean work from home?While you can telecommute from home (or anywhere else youd like), working from home often implies that someone is self-employed. Meanwhile, a telecommuter is usually employed by an organization, but does not work on-site 100 percent of the time.What is the difference between working remotely and telecommuting?While these two terms are often used interchangeably, they can imply slight differences in certain organizations. Remote work usually implies that the employee lives outside the geographical location of an organization, while telecommutingusually implies that the employee works on-site in certain instances.What are the benefits of telecommuting?As mentioned above, telecommuting means increased productivity and morale amongst employees, as theyre in control of their own work enviro nment and schedule. It also allows people to work more (because theyre spending less time getting into the office), and allows people to work around personal obligations and appointments reducing stress and improving work-life balance.What are the best telecommute companies? The 11 highest-rated telecommute companies.More and more companies are offering flexible working environments including telecommute options. The highest rated telecommute companies on Fairygodboss are1. DeloitteAccording to company reviews, up to 95% of employees at Deloitte telecommute at least parte of the time and managers are trained to assist their employees in establishing a strong work-life balance.2. IBMIBMoffers flexible working benefits and work-life integration programs to its employees.3. SalesforceSalesforce believes a big part of being a productive employee is establishing a healthy work-life balance. They work with employees to encourage a flexible workplace.4. Accenture75% of Accentures workfor ce takes advantage of their telecommuting options. However, the company also offers other flexible work arrangements like job-sharing and compressed hours.5. Ultimate Software40% of the workforce at Ultimate Software telecommute, and the company offers other benefits to encourage flexible schedules that allow employees to attend to their personal lives, including a generous parental leave.6. CroweCrowe offers a flexible and supportive work culture, and reports a majority of their employees work remotely on a regular basis. On top of those employees who work from home on Fridays, 10% of Crowe employees have a reduced schedule and/or formal off-site flexible work arrangements.7. CiscoAt Cisco, managers work with their reports to devise the perfect working scenario for their role and personal situations. Women at Cisco rate the company as incredibly supportive of all employees, telecommuters or not.8. MicrosoftMicrosoft offers a variety of flexible working arrangements, including telec ommuting options. These arrangements arent based on level at the organization, but are available to anyone whose roles allow for it.9. Avanade, inc.At Avanade, flexible work schedules are made available to employees through a variety of arrangements, including telecommuting. The company, with over 10,000 employees, is highly rated by women who work there as a flexible environment.10. Seagate TechnologyThis highly-reviewed company offers telecommuting options along with other remote work options, like working remote occasionally and work hour adjustments.11. Hitachi VantaraHitachi Vantara offers extremely flexible working arrangements including remote working, home office only and flexible hours or work weeks based on manager discretion.--AnnaMarie Houlis is a multimedia journalist and an adventure aficionado with a keen cultural curiosity and an affinity for solotravel. Shes an editor by day and a travel blogger at HerReport.org by night.