The 5 myths about telecommuting

This is not a good space for an office.

Working from home is becoming a nice perk for many employees. But with this perk comes a lot of misunderstandings and confusion about what it means to telecommute and have a working arrangement that requires a great deal of responsibility and commitment. So to clear things up I have outlined 5 myths about telecommuting that I think you should know about:

Myth #1: Who needs daycare? The kids can stay at home with me. If you are going to choose this option you will really need to evaluate whether the kids will be a distraction to you while you are trying to work. Yes I know that one of the personal benefits of telecommuting is to possibly have more time to spend with your kids. But if your kids are crying or interrupting you when you are talking to a client or your boss your days of telecommuting are going to be short lived. And you may just find yourself back in the office quicker than you can say Playhouse Disney. You simply do not want or need any kind of distractions that will keep you from providing your clients with the same level of courtesy or respect that you would give them if you were in the office. So if is possible put your children in a daycare (if not full-time at least on a part-time basis) so that you will be able to concentrate without distractions and keep all of your focus on your job.

Myth #2: My office hours are 9-5. Working banking hours just won’t cut it as a telecommuter. In fact since you probably told your boss that you would work additional hours if you were allowed to work from home it would not be a good thing to stop working at 4:59 or 5:01. You really have to live up to your promises if your boss has allowed you to telecommute. Of course your boss will not and should not expect you to work 60 plus hours a week 365 days a year. However since you do not have to deal with daily commute to and from work it would be fair for you to put in as many hours as you can. Especially since you are enjoying the freedom and flexibility of being a telecommuter.

Myth #3: I don’t need a office I can work from anywhere. You may not need a complete office space built onto your home but you will need to have a designated office space set up in your home so that you can be organized and have everything you need at your fingertips. Working from your couch or bed will not work because not only will it take away from your productivity it will also allow you to fall into a state of comfort and relaxation. And that is something that you do not need to do if you want to maintain a level of efficiency and effectiveness.

Myth #4: It’s chore time!. It is really tempting to find yourself wanting to drop off clothes at the dry cleaners or go grocery shopping in the middle of the day while you should be working. But you need to take a personal and professional oath that all chores will be done either before or after working hours. Working from home does not give you a pass to do whatever you want, when you want. In fact if you are doing chores while you are on the clock you are actually cheating your employer and cheating yourself for not demonstrating true honesty and integrity.

Myth #5: I don’t have to work as hard, I’m a telecommuter! Of all of these myths this one has to be the biggest one. As a telecommuter you will have to work hard if not harder than the person that does not telecommute. Because you will not be in the office you will have to work harder to ensure that you are communicating with your boss, your colleagues as well as your customers on a consistent basis. You will have the ability to work at your own pace as a telecommuter but working from home is not a time to relax and get complacent. You will need to be on top of your game every minute and every hour of the day by maintaining the same work ethics and maturity that you would in the office. And don’t forget that your strong work ethics and values is what sets you apart from the rest and is the reason why you are working from home and your co-workers are in still in the office.

Questions or comments? I would love to hear from you. Send me an email at nikki.trotter@emploiinc.com.