TELECOMMUTING: WHAT BOTH EMPLOYEES AND EMPLOYERS SHOULD KNOW Businesses now have to deal with technology, and telecommunication is a new prevalent technology. There are advantages and disadvantages to telecommunications, and employers need to be aware of these pros and cons in order to evaluate whether to have telecommuting employees. Employees who telecommute also need to be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of this style of work before they opt for that type of employment. The purpose of this study is to investigate the pros and cons of telecommuting in the workplace. Both business employers and employees should be aware of the benefits and disadvantages before pursuing the telecommuting option of employment.Background of TelecommutingAccording to the Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, telecommuting is defined as “office-based employees using telecommunications to work at their homes or at a nearby alternative office for a few days each week instead of commuting a longer distance to work” (Telecommuting Research 1). It is hard to formulate an exact number of telecommuters in the United States, but there is roughly 32 million (Langhoff 1). People might ask why companies would allow some or all of their employees to work at home and have no idea what the telecommuting employees are doing. Most employers today do not believe that they have to look over the shoulders of their employees for them to be efficient. People today are realizing that if they are not doing their jobs, the company will find someone who will. Telecommuting is not for all companies or even for all employees. There are some employees that need their employers to look over their shoulders for them to produce their best work (Goodrich 4).Sources and MethodsOnline magazine and newspaper articles were consulted for background information and advantages and disadvantages of telecommuting for both employees and employers....
