Ground control to Major Tom.

Whether you are 50 feet, 50 miles, or 5 time zones away, technology is making it easier to work from virtually anywhere. There is a cheery optimism among young digerati that teleworking is their birth right. It is not.

Commencing countdown, engines on.

Teleworking, often interchangeably called telecommuting, is when an employee “commutes” by telephone or home computer from an off-site location for part (or all) of the work week. According to Global Workplace Analytics (2015), 50% of the U.S. workforce holds a job that is compatible with at least partial telework. Approximately 3.7 million employees—2.5% of the workforce—now works from home at least half the time.

You’ve really made the grade!

In hopes of retaining quality talent, many companies offer employees flexible work arrangements to balance personal life and work. Workers love it too.

Benefits for employers:

• Increased productivity: In a comprehensive study by Telework Research Network (2010), companies like Best Buy, British Telecom, Dow Chemical, American Express, and many other employers found that teleworkers were 35 to 45% more productive than their office-based counterparts.
• Lower “hard” costs: Savings on office space, facilities, parking, travel/relocation, and equipment (many teleworkers use their own computers, phones, etc. at home).
• Lower “soft” costs: Fewer unscheduled absences, personnel conflicts, and discrimination complaints.
• Personnel gains: A satisfied workforce makes it easier to attract new talent and retain existing employees.

Benefits for employees:

• More flexibility: Better management of daily life, particularly for those who are juggling work, family, and other obligations.
• Less out-of-pocket: Reduced outlays for gas, car maintenance, and parking fees. Lower expenses for work-related clothes, shoes, accessories, etc.
• Reduced stress:  Less commute time and aggravation are huge factors. Also, less exposure to people who come to work sick.
• Increased job satisfaction: Higher productivity (because of fewer interruptions), and more opportunities (since you are no longer tied to one location).

Planet Earth is blue.

Telecommuting isn’t for every person or company, however. In 2013, Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo, rescinded the firm’s telecommuting policy and mandated that all employees return and work from the company offices.

Downsides for employers:

• Management mistrust:  Teleworkers may be seen as less productive because they have less oversight. Managers also worry they may not be able to reach them when they need to.
• Information security: Heightened security risks from remotely accessing corporate networks, systems, and proprietary or customer data.
• Lower morale: Remote working has been shown to be ineffective for spreading corporate culture and improving team cohesion. Employees may become jealous if some are allowed to telework and others are not.
• Inefficiencies: Tax, health, and safety laws differ by state; zoning and homeowners association issues; communication breakdowns; technology and training ramp-ups.

Downsides for employees:

• Isolation:  In an Ipsos poll (2011), 62% of employees felt that not seeing colleagues face-to-face every day makes them feel disconnected. Thus, teleworkers often fail to benefit from the ideas and energy of others.
• Distractions: Lack of discipline, drive, and focus required to work on your own.
• Overwork: When you work at home, it’s hard to turn it off at the end of the day.
• Out of sight, out of mind: Unless your work is measurable, accomplishments can be harder to showcase. This can paint a bulls-eye on your forehead for layoff.

Remote control is up to you.

NeXters, think you deserve to land a job where you can telecommute (optimism trap*)? Here are a few reality checks:

• Working from home is a privilege. A typical telecommuter is 49 years old, college educated, in a management, sales, or professional role, and works for a company with more than 100 employees. As a newbie to the company, you are the last to be considered.
• Most telecommuters work from home part-time. Two to three days per week is the national average, experts say. The rest of the time they work at the company site.
• It is extremely rare to find a job that starts out as a telecommuting job, counsels advisor Katharine Hansen (2015). Consider making a case to convert your existing job into a telecommuting arrangement by presenting a comprehensive proposal to your supervisor.

* Questionable beliefs can “trap” our better judgment, leading to poor decisions and unintended consequences. In the optimism trap, we often overestimate the likelihood that the outcomes we want will occur. Learn more about this, and other traps, in the Young Person’s Guide to Wisdom, Power, and Life Success.

Image credit: “Smiling woman using computer” by Elena Elisseeva, licensed from 123rf.com (2016).