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I am currently working in an office environment. However, when I started
here about 9 months ago, it was mentioned that the company was pretty
flexible about work hours, and that occasionally folks worked from home. We
have a multitude of situations now. Some folks pick their own hours (despite
a new attitude of "maintaining business hours", some work at home,
apparently at all hours of the day or night, some show up for their 8 hours
per day etc. This leads to a chaotic situation if you are the department
manager, and you are picky about being able to know if folks are pulling
their weight.
As for my personal situation, I have rearranged my home to have a separate
office (with a door I can close, which I find for me makes all the
difference) and I have worked from home on several occasions either when I
was sick or was already working on something from 5-30 am and was on a roll.
With being able to isolate myself when necessary, I find I can be as if not
more productive at home. Hell, I know my PC is faster there than in the
office.
We were recently told at a regular status meeting that we should all adhere
to the regular business day, in the office, not work from home. So for now,
I guess, working out of the home is out. It's a pity. I enjoyed the
freedom and the responsibility.
Ken Bowes
Technical Writer
DA Consulting Group
KBowes -at- dacg -dot- com
713-361-3540
<In my current job, although I have remote access
to all of the tools I need, work with remarkably
well-grounded and cooperative engineers, and
work in a climate that fosters telecommuting,
I'm much more productive, with far less effort,
in the office than at the home office. Why?
I don't know--the job, equipment, and environment
aren't much different from the previous one, and
in that case I was equally or more productive at
home than in the office. But, I'd be interested
in hearing more specifics of _cases_ in which
telecommuting works for writers or doesn't, or
more of what makes it work, or doesn't, and less
of the hyperbole (either on the "if you have a
pulse, you're lazy and shouldn't telecommute, QED"
or on the "telecommuting solves all problems known
to tech writers anywhere, and only control-freak
management can't understand that I shouldn't even
see the office except for parties" side).
Any takers?
Eric
ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com>
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