Telecommuting

work arrangement

Telecommuting or telework or remote work is a work arrangement in which employees have flexible working locations and hours. They use telecommunication links to work. Many work from home, while others, also called nomad workers or web commuters use mobile telecommunications technology to work from coffee shops or other places. Telework is a broader term, referring to substituting telecommunications for any form of work-related travel, thereby eliminating the distance restrictions of telecommuting.[1] A person who telecommutes is called a "telecommuter". Some telecommuters say that "work is something you do, not something you travel to".[2]

Working from home has always been possible for some people, but one of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic was to make it much more common. In many countries there were stay-at-home orders and people had to find ways of working from home. This was mostly by using remote technology. Many people found they liked not having to go into a distant office, especially parents with young children. When they were told they should go back to working in their office many people refused. Hybrid working, where people work from home most of the time but do come into the office sometimes became common.

In Australia many people now have the right to work at home.

It is unclear whether working away from the office affects performance at work.[3]

References

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  1. Nilles, Jack M. (1998). Managing Telework: Strategies for Managing the Virtual Workforce. Wiley. ISBN 978-0-471-29316-3.
  2. Leonhard, Woody (1995). The Underground Guide to Telecommuting: Slightly Askew Advice on Leaving the Rat Race Behind. Addison-Wesley. ISBN 978-0-201-48343-7.
  3. Clark, Pilita (2023-07-30). "Working from home is full of surprises". Financial Times. Retrieved 2023-07-30.