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Telecommutation seminars promote fuzzy integration By Damon Marturion   New information and technology advancements have brought unprecedented opportunities to the table for the work environment. The telecommunications industry has made technologies available to workers and organizations that give us the power to enhance environmental issues, while socially coddling the psyches of employees. Employees who were once restricted to an office or cubicle within an organization, that had to drive to and from work five-days-a-week, can now reap the benefits of working from home, either full or part-time. When an employee works in an environment that can be overseen by superiors, it is easy to ascertain the effectiveness of an employee. When an employee telecommutes (or works from home) old-school managers initially feel uncomfortable not being able to "keep an eye" on their employee while "on the clock." The truth is; an effective employee - while in the office environment - will likely be just as effective (or likely, more effective) in the work-from-home environment. This takes the trust relationship between the organization and the employee to a new level. Introducing a new environment with somewhat "fuzzy" edges, the telecommuting agreement must be flexible, even liquid, to be able to adapt itself to each individual cooperative arrangement to perform work from a remote location. This mutation is the result of such an arrangement that David Masters refers to as, "Telecommutation." Masters conducts independent seminars to assist employers and employees in establishing successful telecommuting structures. "In order for such an arrangement to be mutually beneficial, some groundwork must be laid in order to ensure the success of the Telecommutation project." Telecommuting has emerged as an essential component of many a corporation's business strategy in the United States. Examples include companies like Apple Computer, AT&T, Environmental Protection Agency, Hewlett-Packard, Holiday Inn, IBM, J.C. Penney, MCI, Pacific Bell, US Sprint, US West and other industry giants. Employers accrue benefits by reducing costs and improving productivity. The cost of doing business is reduced leading to major industry advancements, as Telecommutation becomes more standard fare. Telecommuters are more productive than their office-based colleagues. 50% of the labor force works in offices and 80% of tasks performed in offices could be performed from any location via Telecommutation. Masters says, "It is likely that 50% of your current staff is prepared to work away from the conventional office and become telecommuters." Employer cost savings from Telecommutation can top more than $1,400 in net annual benefits for each employee who works at home only once or twice per week. Other benefits include reduced absenteeism, increased employee performance and improved team management. Organizations with a tendency to hire within an "acceptable" commuting distance are now not confined to such restrictions. As employees spend less time in the office environment and move to more occasional in-person meetings, they will likely embrace longer commutes. Thus increasing the hiring pools of human resources that are available to an organization. Instant environmental rewards are reaped due to the decreased traffic congestion. As more and more workers telecommute, less automotive resources are used, and the immediate benefit of lowered pollution levels from auto exhaust as well as a reduced drain on fuel consumption is realized. For more information on how Telecommutation can help your organization, contact, David Masters at (360) 538-9916. . . . watch for more stories coming soon   SEARCH NEW BUSINESS NEWS		Your ad could be here e-mail us at adinfo@ newbusinessnews.com New Business News? If you have new business news to share with other new businesses, send us your experiences and we could feature your business on New Business News.