Our guest author, Lisa Hart, is a highly-trained double certified coach and member of the International Coach Federation who enjoyed a successful legal career on Wall Street as a litigator for 20+ years. Lisa excels at helping attorneys and other high performers find greater success and satisfaction, personally and professionally. She can be reached through her website for a complimentary sample session. While her views do not necessarily reflect those of the authors or Seyfarth Shaw LLP, Ms. Hart offers a thoughtful perspective worthy of careful consideration.
Yahoo!’s recent decision to ban its work-at-home program raised concern for some about the future of telecommuting. The good news is that most companies offer some sort of work-at-home arrangement because doing so is positively correlated with higher retention rates, lower absenteeism, and greater productivity and employee satisfaction. Still, working at home can be challenging for both employer and employee. The following guidelines will help both sides design telecommuting arrangements that are effective, productive and mutually satisfying.
1. Design a Workable Plan.
Employees: You need to meet professional responsibilities and goals. Consider what support elements you need in place in order to do that. What are your employer’s expectations and needs? Are there weekly meetings that you’ll need to attend in person? Don’t commit to an arrangement that you know you’ll have difficulty sustaining.
Employers: Depending on your company’s size, consider telecommuting guidelines and/or policies for the sake of ease, managing expectations and ensuring consistency in approach.
