[RTC List] Monitoring telecommuters

[David C. Thewlis]

I would second Michael's recommendations.  Further, I would suggest that 
a program to "monitor" telecommuters will work about as well as cubicle 
videocams to ensure that people are working at their place of employment. 

The message is that you don't trust your employees.  If you don't trust 
them, why offer them telecommuting in the first place?

Performance goals have the additional advantage that the same program 
can be used to measure both telecommuters and in-the-office people, 
thereby not making second-class citizens out of the telecommuters.

There's a lot of information in the industry about telecommuting; the 
bottom line is that it works for some people, in some positions, for 
some managers. 

One of the surest ways to make sure it does NOT work is to start by 
implying, or demonstrating, that you don't trust your people.

Cheers,

Dave Thewlis

Michael Welch wrote:
> Hi Sean. There are "time card" web sites on the internet like 
> www.punchytime.com <http://www.punchytime.com/>, and of course there 
> are standalone time programs and even ones that integrate with 
> accounting programs like Quickbooks Pro for time billing purposes. But 
> having been a telecommuter for the last ten years, I recommend 
> performance goals rather than time-watching.
>
> Really, amount of time at computer does not tell you anything. For 
> example, I am at my computer right now answering this email, and not 
> working on company tasks. Folks at computers have a tendency  to mix 
> tasks, and if they are working away from the office, they will 
> certainly mix in some non-work tasks. Also, telecommuters have a 
> tendency to stay chained to their computers, even after quitting time 
> (look where I am right now), which is hard to track but money in the 
> bank for employers.
>
> Larry Goldberg may have some thoughts on this, he darn near invented 
> the word telecommute, much like some politico or other invented the 
> "internet."
>
> Other sources:
> www.telecommute.org
> <http://www.telecommute.org/>Google telecommute tools
>
> Sean Connors wrote at 04:43 PM 12/03/2007:
>  
>> Hello All,
>>  
>> I have a client that is interested in having staff telecummute, but 
>> he would like to be able to monitor their time on the job.
>>  
>> Does anyone know of any applications or some sort of shell that would 
>> allow an employer to track what time a telecommuter is actually 
>> spending on the job at their remote location?
>>
>> All the best,
>>  
>> --  Sean
>
>
> - - - - - - - - - - - -
> Michael Welch, volunteer
> Redwood Alliance
> PO Box 293
> Arcata, CA 95518
> 707-822-7884
> mwelch at redwoodalliance.org
> www.redwoodalliance.org <http://www.redwoodalliance.org/>
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-- 
*Dave Thewlis, DCTA Inc.*
+1 707 840 9391 (voice) · +1 707 498 2238 (mobile)
http://www.dcta.com · dthewlis at dcta.com <mailto:dthewlis at dcta.com>
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