What Is Telecommuting and How to Get Started?

What Is Telecommuting?

Telecommuting represents a kind of work that you can do in a café, a co-working space, or at home. For instance, you can do telecommute bookkeeping because it is a job that doesn’t require you to be in the office all the time.

Working remotely essentially means that you can do your job from anywhere. Technically speaking, this can be considered as telecommuting too. However, quite often, remote workers do not live in the same city as the physical location of the company they work for.

The rise of collaboration and time tracking apps, as well as cloud technology, has made it easier for staff members to bring their work wherever they are. As long as they have access to the Internet, they can perform telecommuting work.

Working Remotely vs. Telecommuting

People often confuse telecommuting with remote work. However, usually, the former is a little bit less flexible. Moreover, telecommuting still requires some commitment of physical presence from the employee. Despite that, it still offers several benefits for both managers and team members.

What is a telecommuter?

Telecommuters In most cases live relatively close to the physical location of the company they work for. As such, they are expected to be present in important meetings or corporate social gatherings. Some companies allow a flexible work schedule for their employees, but they still have to show up in the office once or several days in a week. They can work from home, but they can also explore other options like co-working spaces.

The data compiled by Global Workplace Analytics revealed that telecommuting also lowers attrition rates. It’s important to consider this, especially since replacing an employee costs 33% of an annual salary. To give you an idea of how significant that amount is, let’s look at a worker with an annual salary of $50,000. If an employee were to resign, it would cost the company $16,500. It’s worth noting that 75% of the causes of higher turnover rates are preventable. So, there is good enough reason to allow employees to telecommute, even at least a day or some days in a week.

Who is a remote worker?

Otherwise, remote workers. Companies can hire employees from anywhere in the world without geographical limitations. Moreover, employers do not have to meet their team in person. Remote workers are only expected to appear in virtual meetings and not in the actual office. The top jobs for remote work are ideal for people who travel a lot, for stay-at-home parents, and for those who prefer a flexible schedule. If you’re comfortable with the idea of having little interaction with managers and co-workers, then you may thrive in this setup.

How to Get Started on Telecommuting?

There is a reason why telecommuting used to be a perk for the select few. There used to be an idea that only those who have the right tools and system in place can successfully pull it off. However, one of the things that the pandemic has proven is that most employees can have access to these remote work apps and processes. Here are some of the tips you can follow to help you keep a telecommuting setup beyond the quarantine:

• Have a Dedicated Space for Your Work: To prove that you can pull off telecommuting beyond COVID-19, you should show that you’re serious about it. Invest in creating a space in your home dedicated for your work. It should be distinct from the rooms for other activities like cooking, eating, or lounging with your family. While a bed in the background has become a norm for Zoom meetings, it still does not look professional. You don’t have to blow your bank account just to create your work space. There are various ways to outfit a home office without spending too much.
• Invest in High-Speed Internet: You cannot ask for telecommuting privileges if you do not have high-speed Internet access. It has been and will always be a must. So, if you’re still feeding off your neighbor’s Wi-Fi or relying on your mobile data, it is time that you invest in your Internet connection. Don’t worry too much about the additional expenses. Since your Internet consumption is work-related, you can consider a portion of your monthly bill as a tax deduction.
• Maintain Collaboration with Your Managers and Co-Workers: Just because you’re out of sight, it doesn’t mean that you’ll be out of the mind of the people you work with. You can still collaborate with them and maintain seamless communication. There are project management tools and team chat apps that will enable this. There are programs that will allow you to keep track of your projects and share documents and files with your teammates. These days, technology has made it easier for telecommuters to collaborate.