Working Remotely

Remote working policies can benefit small businesses

Remote Work: Pitfalls and how to identify them

Workshifting
The Web lets solo entrepreneurs forgo traditional offices and connect with clients from coffee shops and spare rooms. Small companies, meanwhile, can rely on far-flung freelancers. Still, working remotely presents challenges, and a bunch of sites try to smooth out the process. WorkShifting, sponsored by the online unit of virtualization provider Citrix Systems Inc., gives tips and opinions about using the Web to get work done at any time and from virtually anywhere. Posts cover everything from multitasking to working in airports or planes.

Wide Teams
This site, which bills itself as "the blog and podcast for geographically dispersed organizations," provides tips for getting started with remote work, as well as news items, interviews and podcasts.

GigaOM’s WebWorkerDaily
This blog, owned by San Francisco-based GigaOM, provides information about the future of work in a highly mobile and connected world, offering news, advice and how-tos on a variety of topics. One recent piece gives tips for being more disciplined when not in the office, while another gives advice for building client relationships when working remotely.

Telework from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management
Technology, traffic, and the pace of 21^st century life have all combined to make telework – working from home or some other convenient satellite location – increasingly popular. Widespread telework practices can help save on expensive real estate; telework can also increase employee productivity, as they face fewer interruptions and more focused time. And no one misses the commute. Employees have more energy and less stress when they work on telework, and traffic congestion and pollution decrease for everyone.

Telework Programs and Toolkits
Telework, also called telecommuting, is one of several alternate work arrangements becoming more common in today's working world. Although advances in technology have made it possible for many more individuals to work from home or other remote locations, that is only one of the reasons for increased interest and participation in telework and other flexible work. Improved work/life balance for employees, improved employee retention, environmental benefits, and reducing commuter traffic are only some of the other reasons.

Kitsap Telework Pilot Project
From the Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council, Washington State. This report documents the results of the Kitsap Telework Pilot Project, a 15 month study of telework conducted by the Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council. The project was funded by a grant from the Washington State Legislature and administered by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). Fourteen organizations and sixty employees participated in the telework portion of the project; additional organizations participated by contributing or reviewing material.

Source:  Staff selections and Wall Street Journal, “Working Remotely,” Nov. 15, 2010.