14. The Realities of Telecommuting 远程办公的现状
(1) Telecommuting——substituting the computer for the trip to the job——has been hailed as a solution to all kinds of problems related office work.
(2)For worker it promises freedoms from the offices,less time wasted in traffic,and helps with child-care conflicts.For management,telecommuting helps keep high performers on board.minimizes tardiness and absenteeism by eliminating commutes.allows periods of solitude for high-concentration tasks,and provides scheduling flexibility.In some areas,such as South California and Seattle,Washington,local governments are encouraging companies to start to telecommuting programs in order to reduce rush-hour congestion and improve air quality.
(3)But these benefits do not come easily.Making a telecommuting program work requires careful planning and an understanding of the differences between telecommuting realities and popular images.
(4)Many workers are seduced by rosy illusions of life as a telecomputer.A computer program from New York cities moves to the tranquil Adirondack Mountains and stays in contact with her office via computer.A manager comes into his office three days a week and works at home the other two.An accountant stays home to care for her sick child;she hooks up her telephone modern connections and does office work between calls to the doctor.
(5)There are powerful images,but they are a limited reflection of reality.Telecommuting workers soon learn that it is almost impossible to concentration on work and care for a young child at the same time.Before a certain age,young children can't recognize,much less respect,the necessary boundaries between work and family.Additional child support is necessary if the parent to get any work done.
(6)Management,too,must separate the myth from the reality.Although the media has paid a great deal of attention to telecommuting,in most cases it is employee's situation,not the availability of technology,that precipitates a telecommuting arrangement.
(7)That is partly why,despite the widespread press coverage,the number of companies with work at home programs or policy guidelines remains small.
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