Telecommunications Technology

Telecommunications technology, Over 16 million Americans are currently working at least part-time from home offices telecommuting, and that number is expected to pass 30 million by 2005 (According to the American Telecommuting Association in Washington, D.C.) Telecommuting is second only to casual days as the fastest-growing shift from traditional work patterns.

The strong economy coupled with high employment rates has created a positive environment for alternative work styles. Modern telecommunications technology makes it possible for home workers to send and receive the information they need to stay in touch with colleagues and clients. From the employer's perspective, the company saves on office space, custodial services, parking facilities, and other support required for office workers. Still, not every enterprise or employee is suited for home base work. The lack of daily contact with immediate supervisors and co-workers could keep the employee out of the inside working and social loop, Working at home can turn into longer hours and not a set in stone work schedule from week to week, and discipline for new and younger employees is a requirement from the beginning in order to be successful in telecommuting.

The lack of social contact and face time with certain bosses, supervisors, and co-workers can increase the chances of keeping an employee out of the social loop. This will obviously result in less chances of career enhancement especially if you're competing against a fellow employee who works in the office and is a social butterfly around all the key personnel. Of course there's many people that I would not like to see every day at work as well, but just because you don't wish to see them doesn't mean they don't want to see you and that's what builds morale at the work place. I think establishing a good working repoire with fellow co-workers leads to business lunches, dinner invitations, and even a friendships out side the work place and trusting a fellow employee to handle maybe shared tasks can result in a team effort success which also keeps a positive attitude flowing amongst employees at the work place, rather than a single employee working from home.

Working at home is extremely convenient, but working long hours can be very tempting because your work is present at all times at home. Working around family members will also cause distractions and this will lead to working extra hours through the day and night to compensate those breaks taken throughout the work day. Missing dinner plans with family and friends or working on the weekends to catch up will have a negative effect on family and friends and then the key focus is not at the task at hand, its on establishing better relations with loved ones, and that is fine but there's a time and place for everything. Working longer hours isn't always working smarter hours, burn out and domestic problems are highly not worth the extra incentive to make more money, establishing a set schedule where flexibility, working smarter, and quality life is the recipe for success.

Discipline is a key requirement of a successful telecommuting experience. Establishing a daily routine early on will go a long way toward having an overall positive work from home career. It appears to me that younger people do not have the discipline and work ethic as an older employee; by me saying this I don't think an employee coming straight out of college should start telecommuting. These younger employees need to start in the companies office's and see how the chain of command operates, and establish working relations with fellow bosses, supervisors, and co-workers. I think a younger employee will learn a lot more about their skilled profession when they are in an environment that's uses a team concept to achieve the finished product and to meet timely deadlines. I believe an employee with at least 10 years of experience in that career field has earned the right to telecommute from home and should understand how to budget time, be flexible, and not take working from home for granite and realize it's a privilege not a right. An employee with at least 10 years of experience