What Does telecommuting Mean
Teleworking is known as the work activity that takes place outside the facilities of the contracting company, appealing to information and communication technologies for the development of tasks.
It can be said, therefore, that teleworking is work done remotely . The worker, equipped with a computer (computer) with an Internet connection , can complete different tasks almost as if he were in the company's offices. This type of work offers various benefits for both the employee and the company.
The main advantage of teleworking is that the investment of time to travel from home to the office is avoided . The worker can carry out his work from home, without having to travel to the company headquarters. This also makes it possible for the person to work for a foreign firm without any problem.
Teleworking, on the other hand, contributes to cost reduction . The employee does not invest in travel, while the company usually pays for work received.
The technology facilitates virtual contact in multiple ways: the worker and his boss can exchange e - mails, chat or participate in video conferences, for example. The worker, on the other hand, can send his work to the company by email, FTP, CMS or other mechanisms.
The freedom to work from any geographic location is one of the most frequently mentioned arguments by advocates of telecommuting. The person can not only work from home, but can also do so from an internet cafe, a hotel, a restaurant or even from any public space with an Internet connection .
In the previous paragraphs, teleworking is presented as a very appropriate option for the times, since it takes advantage of current technologies to expand job opportunities while reducing maintenance costs. However, it is not always the most convenient alternative to the conventional work modality , that is, to the face-to-face one.
One of its most common disadvantages is the lack of a contract , and this leads to others, such as the absence of vacations and extra pay. Although in many companies the personnel do not sign contracts or access the benefits that correspond to them for their performance, there are various agreements that, despite being outside the provisions of the law, partially compensate for these deficiencies. For example, many workers in black enjoy paid vacation periods, and even bonuses for their performance. The same does not usually happen with teleworking, and at first glance there does not seem to be an answer that justifies the difference, although it does exist.
As mentioned above, teleworking saves time and money for both parties , the employer and the employee: the former should not cover travel expenses, purchase equipment or pay electricity and water bills; The worker, for his part, although he must take care of the electricity costs and the maintenance of the devices he uses to work, saves time and money on clothes, as well as being able to organize his tasks as it suits him best. The greater freedom of the employee does not justify the absence of a contract or the breach of the obligations of his employer, but at least it allows him to lead a rhythm of life that is often envied by those who spend a large part of their week in an office.
On the other hand, it is important to note that teleworking tends to pay considerably less than face-to-face work, and this translates into a greater effort to achieve a barely comparable salary. There are exceptions, and conditions are slowly improving, making it possible that in the not too distant future working from home will be a truly equivalent option to traveling to an office.