Are We Ready for Teleworking?
TeleworkPH
Published: November 25, 2019
The idea of teleworking, when a business-owner thinks about it, seems like a daunting prospect. However, several global studies show that companies who follow this work approach reap the benefits. People are curious to know how this type of work structure performs. But first, let’s define the terminologies you’ll need to understand the aforementioned.
The terms ‘telework’ and ‘telecommuting’ are relatively synonymous but according to Jack Nilles, a physicist and engineer, who coined both terms, there are slight differences:
Telework – in other words, mean remote work. The worker lives geographically outside of the company’s office. Employees can work using substitutable information technology via laptops, email, mobile phones, etc.
Telecommute – is a type of telework. The worker is not required to report to the company office and has rendered numerous hours of work from either their home or some other place except the office.
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Pros and Cons of Telework
According to an International Workplace Group (IWG) study, 70% of the global population is already telecommuting. That’s because of the rise of communication mobility. Nowadays, employees are becoming flexible in the shift of the workspace environment. Despite the positive stance of workers, there are definite advantages and disadvantages to this setup.
One benefit is increased work productivity. Working from home lets the employee improve their self-actualization skills. They must rely on their own and not seek help on their fellow officemates. It also allows the employee to have a positive work-life balance because it lessens the stress of commuting to and from the office. Another agreeable factor is that they are working in a conducive environment of their own choosing. For the employer, they found out that their operational costs reduced due to their employees being out of the office.
However, one drawback of this is the possibility of data and security breach. The company must first establish protocols for these kinds of sensitive information before permitting an employee to telecommute. For the workers, there’s also this fear of missing out on office camaraderie. But there are ways on how to make your remote workers feel appreciated and that they belong in the company. Indeed, establishing processes and protocols for teleworking, if done correctly, can benefit both the employer and employee.
In the Philippine Setting
While there aren’t any available studies yet on the number of Filipinos working outside of the office, there are plenty of employees who are in favor of this. In fact, a survey conducted by the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) revealed that a large majority, or 87% of workers are open to this idea. Furthermore, earlier this year, Republic Act # 11165 or the “Telecommuting Act” was passed by congress. The act seeks to instigate the rights of the workers and to promote their welfare in this new scheme. Moreover, this gives the workers an option to telecommute because of the increasingly terrible traffic congestion in Metro Manila and other key cities. Although the law remains optional for employers to implement this, a few companies here in the Philippines started to employ this movement.
Telework PH is also no stranger to this work structure. In fact, this company started through teleworking thus, the fruition of our company name. In the end, companies should consider teleworking as a resolution because the ways of working in the 21st century is rapidly changing.
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