Get out of the office
Get out of the office
AHIMA issues briefs about telecommuting
Although some people wish this weren’t the case, telecommunications technology allows employees to be forever linked to their offices, even while at home. It also allows employees to work at home, at a satellite office, a neighborhood work center, or even as "virtual office" mobile worker, whose location changes constantly.
In response to the ever-growing number of telecommuters, the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) in Chicago recently issued a practice brief that details what organizations and individuals need to know about telecommuting. The brief was prepared by Donna M. Fletcher, MPA, RRA, professional practice manager for AHIMA.
By definition, telecommuting is the "partial or total substitution of telecommunications technology for the trip to and from the primary workplace, along with associated changes in policy, organization, management, and work structure."
The acceptance of telecommuting is growing, Fletcher says, especially because of these potential benefits:
- Conserve energy.
The three major areas (including materials and resources) where telecommuting can reserve energy are vehicles, highways, and offices. Organizations with a large number of telecommuters have reduced their office space requirements, and, consequently, their rents by setting a policy for telecommuting employees to share desks and other resources at company facilities.
- Improve health.
Telecommuting reduces stress related to compromises made between family and work.
- Allow closer proximity to and involvement with family.
Working in the home offers people a greater opportunity to share quality time with family members, promote family values, and develop stronger family ties and unity.
- Allow proximity to extended family.
Through telecommuting, a person can live in a completely different part of the world from their company’s location.
- Allow selection of a remote work site that is mutually acceptable to all family members.
This gives the telecommuter’s spouse an opportunity to pursue his or her career.
- Allow employee freedom.
Telecommuters can look for a place to live where they can feel comfortable — both from a social and economic standpoint — and live near people who have common interests.
- Improve productivity.
Telecommuting eliminates the commute to work, along with interruptions and conversation that inevitably take place at the central workplace. In addition, working from home may offer some opportunities for physically challenged individuals.
Telecommuting also reduces the use of company paid time to meet personal or family needs and the impacts of other uncontrollable events, such as extremely inclement weather, highway construction, or special events.
- Reduce the number of people who job-hop.
Telecommuting lets people move without losing their jobs, substantially reducing the costs of recruiting and training.
There are challenges, too
Understanding the potential business problems associated with your telecommuting program is essential to its success, the brief states. Awareness of these problems helps determine what program will make sense for each organization.
Some of the telecommuting challenges for employers include:
- management resistance and skepticism;
- control issues;
- culture change;
- start-up and operating costs;
- security of data/information;
- safety and well-being of employees.
Likewise, some of the telecommuting challenges for employees include:
- isolation and lack of interaction with team members;
- household distractions, such as chores, children, and neighbors;
- perceived hindrance of career advancement and less visibility;
- lack of support services such as secretarial and copying services;
- reduced living space.
All must agree on goals
Before beginning a telecommuting pilot project, organizations should ensure that appropriate management personnel have agreed to the goals, objectives, and measurements for the pilot, the brief says. Implementing a telecommuting program is similar to implementing a compressed work week or flex-time program.
Here is a list of steps for implementing a telecommuting program. Critical steps are annotated with an asterisk:
1. Prepare and present a telecommuting proposal.
2. Obtain support from top management. *
3. Establish a telecommuting implementation committee.
4. Define pilot program parameters. *
5. Present telecommuting orientation sessions.
6. Develop a telecommuting policy for the organization. *
7. Develop a telecommuting agreement. *
8. Develop criteria to screen the participants. *
9. Develop evaluation criteria for the program. *
10. Determine equipment, technology, and security needs.
11. Develop resource and reference material. *
12. Recruit participants. *
13. Implement a managing-by-objectives strategy.
14. Select the telecommuters and supervisors. *
15. Select the control group.
16. Train the telecommuters and supervisors.
The brief recommends an organization establish a "lab" for potential telecommuters. This practice lab should be far removed from the normal work area, and the trial should be of sufficient length to assess the employee’s suitability for telecommuting. *
17. Administer pre-telecommuting evaluation.
18. Begin telecommuting. *
19. Conduct focus groups.
20. Administer telecommuting post-evaluation. *
21. Analyze and prepare the results of the evaluation. *
22. Present the results to senior management. *
23. Obtain concurrence from senior management to expand and formalize the program.
24. Begin implementing the program throughout the entire organization.
25. Monitor the program.
26. Make adjustments where necessary. *
AHIMA also recommends an organization consider the following when implementing a telecommunications program:
- Tax requirements — telecommuters should contact their accountant or tax consultant.
- Workers’ compensation — if an injury sustained while telecommuting appears to be work-related, the chances are better that workers’ compensation will cover the medical costs relating to the injury.
- Security — before implementing a telecommuting program, assess the security controls in your department. Find out what the current security is, and upgrade it if necessary.
- Patient confidentiality — ensure that patient confidentiality is safeguarded by orienting employees to confidentiality measures and having them sign confidentiality agreements.
- Equipment arrangements — practical arrangements for equipment should be made between the company and the employee prior to implementation of the program.
- Union considerations — some organizations reserve telecommuting for nonunion personnel. Others invite union representatives to participate in the telecommuting planning process.
- Emergency preparedness/disaster recovery — telecommuting programs facilitate emergency preparedness compliance and increase emergency effectiveness. For example, in the case of a fire at the main office, telecommuting employees could easily resume work at their homes where voice calls to the damaged office could be redirected.
(Editor’s note: The entire practice brief, including a sample screening form and a security checklist, can be viewed on AHIMA’s Web site at http://www.ahima.org/publications/2a/pract.brief.299.html.)
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