Question

Case:

Your firm has a major telecommuting program. Under the terms of the program, employees are allowed to work at home two days a week. Because you prefer the structure and routine of a regular work schedule and workplace, you have elected not to participate. One of your best friends, however, elected to participate in the program and talks about how wonderful it is. You know from comments he's made to you, however, that your friend recently spent part of a work-at-home day on the golf course. You also know he occasionally buys the family groceries and runs errands during work-at-home time. You have asked your friend about these comments. Your friend was clearly uncomfortable and embarrassed. He mumbled some answer about comp time to offset some work at night and then quickly changed the subject.

Questions

1. What are the arguments for and against your friend's behavior?

2. How would you handle working from home? What protocols might you put into place to make working from home effective and productive?

3. What are the ethical issues in this situation?

4. What would you do in this situation? What do you think most people would do? How would you handle working from home?

Please answer all of the questions, if you can not answer all of the questions do not reply.

Answer 1

1. The friend is addressing to the family and social needs in a better way but at the same time this behaviour is hampering his productivity and punctuality of work. His behaviour is an effort to balance his work and life requirements, which is the basic reason behind the work from home program. However, he is sacrificing his efficiency and punctuality and trying to make up for it by working during odd hours. By doing so, he is on one hand is improving his social and family life, but ruining his reputation of being a good employee by going errand at work. His behaviour is also affecting his relationship with his collegaues, as he is not open about it with them.

2.Work from home needs a high degree of self discipline and commitment. One needs to maintain his schedule in the same way as if he /she is in the office, with some exceptional situations that need urgent attention. The work from home option should be seen as an effort to save the time and stress associated with commute to work and some degree of flexibility to attend to personal and family needs in the time saved.

In order to be effective and productive one must need to devote the same time as in office and be punctual during work hours. The care should be taken, not to leave any work for next day or hour. If it is absolutely necessary to do it, the pendency should be adressed to as soon as possible. It takes grit to work without supervision, for most of us, so we must live up to the belief and trust of employer in us, who has given this option.

3. Work from home is a privilege from the employer to make the employee more productive by cutting down on unavoidable time (like commute). It is against the work ethics to do personal work or doing leisure activity during the work hours and making up for it later, with possibly bad quality of work. It erodes the trust of employer.

4. I would prepare a time table for work and do it exactly as I would have done in the office. Still, I would enjoy home made food, unlimited coffee and occasional chit chat with kids to cool off, and later, enjoying my saved time ( from commute) with family. Most of the people who are used to working under supervision break free once they get free hand and not take work seriously, unless WFH is a norm in the company and suitable checks and balances are in place to monitor and tele-supervise their work.

Therefore, one must enjoy the benefits of WFH, without compromising on the quality and punctuality of the work and having same level of productivity and efficiency.