I should be in pajamas right now!
June 14, 2011 6:06 AM Subscribe
I work in a small landscape architecture company (3 employees). Much of my work is done at the computer. I would like to present my employer with some options to incorporate work-from-home opportunities. Can you point to me resources and/or success stories to help me make a case?
There are definitely many times when I need to be in the field or at meetings. There are other times when I'm involved in production work that I go basically unsupervised on the computer; this computer work could easily be done from home. My employer is rarely at work anymore (15 hours out of a 40 hour week at a maximum). (Question asked as I look towards future plans for starting a family & being a mom someday.)
I am particularly looking for advice and guidance from other design professionals regarding project management, billing, security. I know my one of my employer's primary concerns will be maintaining the privacy of our computer files and project server. (We have a computer in-house that hold all the project files. Only one person can open any particular file at a time. This computer is backed up daily. We'd need to maintain that kind of thing.)
I searched the previous questions, but didn't really see specific resources. Thanks in advance for your help; apologies if I inadvertently replicated.
There are definitely many times when I need to be in the field or at meetings. There are other times when I'm involved in production work that I go basically unsupervised on the computer; this computer work could easily be done from home. My employer is rarely at work anymore (15 hours out of a 40 hour week at a maximum). (Question asked as I look towards future plans for starting a family & being a mom someday.)
I am particularly looking for advice and guidance from other design professionals regarding project management, billing, security. I know my one of my employer's primary concerns will be maintaining the privacy of our computer files and project server. (We have a computer in-house that hold all the project files. Only one person can open any particular file at a time. This computer is backed up daily. We'd need to maintain that kind of thing.)
I searched the previous questions, but didn't really see specific resources. Thanks in advance for your help; apologies if I inadvertently replicated.
Best answer: This isn't the "IT solutions" help that you asked for but it's related to helping you make a case. The Families and Work Institute has reports available for download, the results of studies about how flexible work arrangements (including work-from-home) benefit the company from a retention, productivity, etc standpoint.
posted by aimedwander at 6:49 AM on June 14, 2011
posted by aimedwander at 6:49 AM on June 14, 2011
Best answer: Work Naked is a great book that talks about all the underlying issues related to working from home. Explores trust issues, how to prioritize workload, etc... really good book. Also can guide you in how to approach your boss and convince him, with solid arguments.
This other book is actually quite old, but it talks about all the practical aspects of managinf security, backups, etc.... And it also contains some chapters devoted to help you win the case to telecommute with your boss.
posted by theKik at 7:29 AM on June 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
This other book is actually quite old, but it talks about all the practical aspects of managinf security, backups, etc.... And it also contains some chapters devoted to help you win the case to telecommute with your boss.
posted by theKik at 7:29 AM on June 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
One thing to think about...
Many employers have a real mental block when it comes to employees working remotely from home. This can be true despite their claims to the opposite. What it often comes down to is the old adage "Out of sight, out of mind."
Basically, your absence from the office can often put it in their minds that you have left the company. Or, at the very least, on your way out. Doubly-so when it's a three-person office. Your absence will be very obvious and definitely noted, for better or for worse. That's not fair, I know, but it happens.
posted by Thorzdad at 7:37 AM on June 14, 2011
Many employers have a real mental block when it comes to employees working remotely from home. This can be true despite their claims to the opposite. What it often comes down to is the old adage "Out of sight, out of mind."
Basically, your absence from the office can often put it in their minds that you have left the company. Or, at the very least, on your way out. Doubly-so when it's a three-person office. Your absence will be very obvious and definitely noted, for better or for worse. That's not fair, I know, but it happens.
posted by Thorzdad at 7:37 AM on June 14, 2011
Check to see if your state or city has any credits which may help your business fund telecommuting. CMAQ funds may be available.
posted by JJ86 at 8:24 AM on June 14, 2011
posted by JJ86 at 8:24 AM on June 14, 2011
You mentioned wanting children -- I know a few people who work from home and their employers require that the children be in daycare.
Why don't you start by trying one or two days a week and see if you like it? I work full time from home and the only real advantage is the zero commute.
posted by PSB at 11:56 AM on June 14, 2011
Why don't you start by trying one or two days a week and see if you like it? I work full time from home and the only real advantage is the zero commute.
posted by PSB at 11:56 AM on June 14, 2011
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A few disadvantages for your employer: get the infrastructure in place; training people on the chosen technologies. This costs time and money. This is not a trivial task, specially because there are a lot of security implications.
A few advantages for your employer: opportunity to find new employees from all over the world (or at least, the country); spend less on employee salary, in the proportion of the money they would spend commuting everyday.
And finally: what does your employer think about it? Does he trust people to work from home? Does he see a long term business value that justifies the short term investment? Or does he see it just as a special privilege that would benefit two or three employees and nothing else?
posted by dfreire at 6:46 AM on June 14, 2011