The Trend Toward Working at Home

Clogged highways could be cleared, traffic accidents reduced, time and money saved and payment for sick days, maternity leave, workplace accidents and vacations could be completely done away with if companies would arrange for more people to work at home.

These days, when so much work is performed on computers, and so many people have computers in their home, there is no reason why more people cannot work at home. Some workers, of course, may prefer turning up every day at the office; they might enjoy the social contact. But is this really needed at work? And could they not have phone or email or IM contact? An employer with 20 employees would surely not maintain an office with all its attendant costs for the sake of 5-6 who prefer working out. If they are valuable employees, they might be traded or lent to an employer who prefers to maintain an office. Workers who work at home could pool their resources and buy group medical policies, could meet via conference calls and perhaps get together at an employee's home for meetings. Since their costs would be reduced, employees may be willing to accept less in salary. Our clogged highways would free up, accidents insurance costs would surely go down, along with gas consumption and accidents.

The company itself would benefit tremendously. It would need less office space (perhaps none!). Cubicles, phones, desk space, computers could be done away with (though computers and training should be offered to valuable employees), not to mention parking, coffee, donuts, and time.

It seems rather odd, doesn't it, to leave your $300,000 home and go elsewhere to spend most of your day?