While there are many benefits to teleworking, there are some detriments that must also be considered:
From an employer perspective:
- Tracking of employee progress - It may be difficult for some managers to track the work accomplishments of employees that telework. It is necessary to arrange checkpoints and validate task progress in a different manner with employees who work from home.
- Necessary to implement a new management style - Managers that oversee employees within an office have the capability to maintain in-person contact with all employees. This means if a problem arises, or there is a misunderstanding of assigned tasks, an unscheduled face-to-face meeting can often resolve the issue quickly. In telework environment, managers should establish processes for validating understanding and remain flexible to the various needs of the teleworking employee.
From the employee perspective:
- Feeling of isolation - For many people, working on their own becomes lonely.
- Slower connections - Residential and rural areas do not generally get the kind of technology support and services that inner city offices can receive, and they can be expensive. If the work requires high bandwidth, think carefully about whether a home office is the right choice.
- Distractions - Whether it is a neighbor, a spouse, a child, lawn mowing, the laundry, the TV or the refrigerator, there are distractions in the home office. Additionally, many individuals think that telework negates the need for childcare, but this is not necessarily true. With young children especially, it is important to plan for childcare at times when it is necessary to completely focus on work.