Telecommuting Really Does Mean Working

Fortunately some (unfortunately only some) companies have embraced modern technology and realize that for many employees living in the 2010s (and really even in pre-historic 2000), all they need to get their job done is access to those things called the Internet and the phone. As many of these employees have those in their homes, there really is no reason to drive an hour each way to an office just to pop your laptop in a docking station to gain Internet access and use a voice contraption with a curly cord. The difference with working from home is that you can actually get work done due to the lack of office chit chat interruptions, lack of need to fix your make-up, less of a walk to the restroom, less need to leave at a decent hour to get home at a reasonable hour (you’re already at your destination when you work from home) and less need to make sure you haven’t popped a button, your shirt isn’t giving gaps to free peep shows, your undergarments are in place (I once had an unfortunate incident that makes paying attention in a meeting very difficult), you’re not limping due to your shoes being too tight/tall/red and you don’t have to leave the office to buy replacement stockings. I realize this sounds quite focused on women which it is because that’s what I know but I’m sure guys have issues too. Not the make-up one (well, maybe) or stockings (well, maybe). I have heard issues of forgetting to put hair gel in (really, I offered my spare supply in my desk to a male co-worker when I noticed something was follicly incorrect with him one morning) and wearing the wrong shoes to work (a male co-worker who has farm property and a dog hospice forgot to change his chicken-feeding, dog-walking shoes before getting to work). Just think of the increased productivity if workers didn’t have to spend time on these mundane life details of getting to an office. You really can’t wear the wrong pair of slippers at home.

Regretfully, there is an old mindset that still lurks about — facetime is important. And, not the kind on an iPhone. Meaning, the corporate man feels he needs to see your face in the office to ensure you’re doing work (he has trust issues). I find this interesting as my boss and her boss sit on the other side of the floor from me and unless I run into them in the ladies’ room, they don’t know where I’m sending emails from. In fact, my boss was shocked to run into me at 2:00 one day because she thought I was working from home. Perhaps I should have been!