Yahoo’s recent decision to ban telecommuting, led by their new CEO Marissa Mayer, has had repercussions far beyond Yahoo. The move has opened up a broader discussion about the entire trend, and whether it is beneficial or not. Tech companies in particular have embraced the model, but there is still some wisdom in the thought that casual, face-to-face contact certainly can’t be bad for one’s career.
The discussion is missing out on the obvious. Telecommuting no longer involves sitting at home at a computer, and sending over files via email every now and then. The level of communication that is now possible has raised the bar, and telecommuters can easily take part in web conferences and video conferences, use tools like Salesforce Chatter to stay up to date minute-by-minute, and use web-based project management tools like SkylightIT to stay on top of who’s doing what.
Short-sighted bosses see remote work as a situation that eliminates their ability to control employees, rather than an opportunity to allow them to be more productive. Still others make the mistake of seeing it as a model that cuts the remote workers off from the herd and stops their career growth in its tracks..
By Dan Blacharski – Techie.com