One of the most common questions asked about teleworking is how to equip to the home office. How much technology and furniture do you provide? Who pays for what? Unfortunately, there is no simple answer -- it really depends on the organization.
The technology issue is probably the most easiest to resolve. Most organizations will provide their teleworkers with at least one business phone line in the home. These organizations do not want callers to be redirected to an employee's personal home answering machine. The use of a separate phone line and associated voice mail box is critical to maintaining a professional level of communications. The issue usually comes down to whether one or two lines are purchased. Teleworkers who can do the majority of their work "off-line" will not require two phone lines. The can use the single line to dial into their e-mail or other applications 4-5 times a day while having any incoming calls directed to their voice mail box (using the call busy answering feature). Teleworkers who need to be "on-line" most of the day to perform their jobs will probably require two telephone lines. Today, this usually means installing an integrated services digital network (ISDN) connection which can handle both voice and data.
Many organizations are now providing their teleworkers with notebook computers. The concept is to "attach the technology to the person rather than the location." This approach allows organizations to avoid having to acquire and maintain another desktop computer and allow the teleworker to share space when they return to the office (taking their notebook with them). Many organizations are buying higher end notebooks with colour screens so that they will not need to acquire separate monitors. Notebooks are still more expensive than desktop machines but the flexibility they provide to teleworkers will quickly return the additional investment.
Today many employees already have their own personal computers at home. Some organizations allow employees to use their own machines while others are strongly against this practice -- primarily citing support concerns. The majority of home machines will probably need to be upgraded to run today's client server business applications. The central information technology support group will also be concerned about supporting remote users who have a wide range of different hardware and software components which will make problem resolution extremely difficult. The trade-off is the initial saving of not buying a computer for the teleworker versus the ongoing cost of supporting non-standard hardware and software.
Providing furniture for teleworkers is another concern. Today the majority of organizations do not provide furniture for teleworkers -- they expect teleworkers to provide their own desk and chair. In many organizations the beginning of a telework arrangement also includes information on how to select ergonomically correct home office furniture. Teleworkers who understand the basics of ergonomics can usually find an appropriate configuration to meet their needs while staying within their personal budget.
Organizations who have a large number of teleworkers consistently working two to four days per week from home are now starting to provide ergonomically correct furniture to home teleworkers. These organizations believe that the only way to ensure a safe working environment in the home is to provide the appropriate furniture. This conclusion is based on the assumption that employees working on unacceptable furniture will eventually lose work time from strain-related injuries.
As you can see there is no simple answer to these questions. Each organization must develop a strategy for how they equip teleworkers and they should stick to these standards to ensure that all requests for telework are being treated equitably. Many organizations allocate technology and furniture based on a business case analysis. Others will allocate equipment based on the degree to which the employee will be teleworking. The key is to develop a strategy for your organization and to review this strategy on a regular basis.
CONTACT:
Ken Robertson
KLR Consulting Inc.
phone: (604) 294-2292
e-mail: ken.robertson@klr.com
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