Bunny slippers, but no water cooler; working from home has benefits

By: Larry Burge

Posted: 4/29/09

Twenty-first century office employees can work from almost anywhere, from home or a houseboat - dressed in housecoat and slippers, casual to business suit or for best comfort. These rewards come with telecommuting as a virtual employee.

For more than two years, Lynn Howard, of Gravette, Ark., has worked as a virtual transcriptionist and medical copy editor.

"I had been doing medical transcription for 13 years at a local office," Howard said. "I made the decision to move, and applied to a national company to work from home two and a half years ago. Advantages are that I don't have to drive, don't have to buy clothes for the office or deal with office situations."

There are also disadvantages to virtual world telecommuting.

"One must be extremely self-disciplined," Howard said. "That's the big, big thing. It's difficult not to answer the phone when it rings, even though it may be only a five-minute conversation. You have five calls of five-minute conversations you have almost a half-hour of your work time that has been misapplied."

As with most jobs, there is an enjoyable and not so pleasant side to telecommuting.

"There are pros and cons of telecommuting," she said. "The flipside of not having to deal with office situations is that you never see anybody. And it's too easy to get up and get a cup of tea, use the bathroom, throw a load of laundry in the washer and pick up this and that on your way. When I worked in an office, I took a 10-minute break mid-morning, lunch break usually at my work desk and another 10-minute break in the afternoon."

But telecommuting can be a fantastic employment opportunity, a win-win solution for almost anybody who is creative, organized and able to structure work around family, friends, community and the perception that others can interrupt the work at anytime just because the person is handy.

Working from home has as many drawbacks as it does advantages. However, by applying self-discipline, a persistent work ethic and skills learned in the college classroom, many determined college graduates could master telecommuting.

After working in marketing and as a client service agent with Internet companies for about 10 years, Sandra O'Malley, FlexJobs.com online research and marketing manager, said she found a part-time job at Flexjobs.com so she could spend more time at home with her children, family and friends.

"Telecommuting offers a great opportunity for people who are in particular life stages, a parent, people with a disability, or being passionate about being green minded and not wanting to use a car to get back and forth from work every day," O'Malley said. "I'm a mom and have a lot of friends who are moms also. It's very appealing to have a job with a flexible schedule, to be able to work from home some or at least part of the time. Telecommuting isn't for everyone. But it can offer part time employment while a person looks for full time work. Because it offers flexibility that, a traditional job often can't offer. Working from home, for instance, a traditional job seeker can take phone calls from perspective employers, schedule interviews while they're working in a temporary part time job from home."

However, before any graduate takes a giant leap into the virtual work community, the candidate should determine if telecommuting fits. Ideal candidates will benefit from skills in self-discipline, self-motivation and being natural organizers and skilled at time management.

Candidates also should find out about fringe benefits that traditional employment provides that can be missing from some work from home jobs. These benefits can include such things as insurance, job security, retirement or contract labor where they must pay both sides of Social Security if considered a subcontractor by the IRS.

One caution in looking for online employment is to beware of computer scams that either promise a job if the virtual employee pays money up front or does not pay for work after the employee submits it back to the company or individual.

To avoid this, online job posting companies such as Flexjobs.com, make the following suggestions:

Contact the human resources department and have a copy of the organization's flexible job policy sent or e-mailed.

Prepare a proposal for the job requested and send it in with a written agreement that addresses issues concerned with job duties, work produced or timely compensation for work completed.

Suggest a trial period to propose a date to evaluate the job from both the employer and employee position.

If part of a team or supervising others, participate in online chat room discussions on issues and initiatives.

There also are personal areas for which the telecommuter must make arrangements. The virtual employee needs designated office space with lockable file storage, computer supplies and doors to close out distractions.

For to conduct a serious business from home - a plop down space on a couch with laptop on a coffee table - probably wouldn't fly with the IRS.

The telecommuter should also set office hours for appointments only, rules about no interruptions from friends or family members and nothing taken from or moved in the office without explicit permission. Put "Do Not Disturb" signs on doors and don't answer if somebody knocks on one.

Virtual commuters need technology to carry on a successful business venture. They should get a designated business phone line or cell phone, a high-speed Internet connection, new computer or upgrade and fax machine. The dedicated phone will allow for separating friends and family from business calls.

Don't forget to take breaks and set a time to close the business doors for the day and weekends as well. To avoid burnout, online communities suggest setting work hours and sticking to them. Other suggestions are to make lunch appointments away from the home-office setting and take coffee breaks to avoid non-stop working.