Has Telecommuting Fallen from Grace?

FROM EWEEK

Once considered the cure for all workplace ills, many businesses and employees are questioning the merits of working from home.

There was a time when telecommuting was seen as a panacea. The proliferation of wireless technology had made it easier for workers in countless arenas to work from their living rooms or the coffee shop of their choice, leading waves of companies to embrace partial or total remote work policies for their masses.

IBM, where more than 40 percent of employees don't come into the office every day, recently evaluated the pros and cons of telecommuting through a study by Jay Mulki, a marketing professor at Northeastern University's College of Business Administration.

In his study, Mulki found that telecommuting presented two major challenges: a feeling of isolation and difficulty achieving a work-life balance.

"Isolation happens when telecommuters can't get the support they need," Mulki said. "When face-to-face communication isn't possible, workers need a substitute—and voice mail isn't it."

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