Sometimes, I work from home. Working where I work, that feels like a confession.
Nevermind that greater than 90% of my job is done without face-to-face interaction, our department is short on office space for faculty members (to the degree that our department is spending tens of thousands on a redesign that will squeeze in TWO more seats), and I am perfectly willing to hand my window office—with real walls and a locking door—to someone who actually needs to work on campus. Whenever I bring this up in meetings with my boss and administrator, they do that breathing out chuckle thing that says, “Not on your life.”
Lately my administrator has been asking the staff (i.e. me, since i'm the only staff person allowed to work off-site) to produce what I consider to be an excessive amount of paperwork containing inordinate, excruciating detail. It took a while to sink in, but I get it now—she doesn’t want me working from home. Definitely not full time. Preferably not at all.
Why? I have some assumptions about her personal bitterness toward parents, specifically women parents, who are able to work full time and also give a fair amount of love and attention to their children, but we won’t go into her failings as a human being supposedly capable of compassion and higher reasoning.
Instead of getting personal, I decided to go to our company’s HR policy on telecommuting. Turns out it’s company policy to act like my administrator. Take a look at some excerpts:
Nevermind that greater than 90% of my job is done without face-to-face interaction, our department is short on office space for faculty members (to the degree that our department is spending tens of thousands on a redesign that will squeeze in TWO more seats), and I am perfectly willing to hand my window office—with real walls and a locking door—to someone who actually needs to work on campus. Whenever I bring this up in meetings with my boss and administrator, they do that breathing out chuckle thing that says, “Not on your life.”
Lately my administrator has been asking the staff (i.e. me, since i'm the only staff person allowed to work off-site) to produce what I consider to be an excessive amount of paperwork containing inordinate, excruciating detail. It took a while to sink in, but I get it now—she doesn’t want me working from home. Definitely not full time. Preferably not at all.
Why? I have some assumptions about her personal bitterness toward parents, specifically women parents, who are able to work full time and also give a fair amount of love and attention to their children, but we won’t go into her failings as a human being supposedly capable of compassion and higher reasoning.
Instead of getting personal, I decided to go to our company’s HR policy on telecommuting. Turns out it’s company policy to act like my administrator. Take a look at some excerpts:
“Reimbursement: [Company name removed] will not be responsible for operating costs, home maintenance, or any other incidental cost (i.e. utilities) associated with the use of the employee’s residence. Costs associated with high speed internet connectivity will be at the expense of the employee. ...Equipment provided to you will be maintained by you.”
Not exactly telecommuter friendly, but not terribly unexpected either. My company is just a little behind the trend, right? It’s an old institution…
“Work expectations: Employees are expected to at least maintain current productivity and quality levels when working at the alternate work site, and work must be of the same high caliber as presently produced. All work assignments will be completed according to work procedures mutually agreed upon between Manager and employee. Failure to meet standards of productivity and quality at any time may result in the employee having to return on site for performance improvement. Performance evaluations will take place annually, based on standard Performance Appraisal for your organization.”
Hmmm… this is starting to sound a little aggressive, like they assume that telecommuters are trying to get away with something. I expect that of grey-haired faculty, but in my company’s HR policies? Why would an employee need “performance improvement” on site? Because that’s where the leg irons are located? Here’s my favorite:
“Telecommuting is not an alternative to child or elder care. The employee must make appropriate arrangements for dependent care.”
Oh really? You mean if I work at home I actually have to do something? I can’t just play with my kids all day?... Seriously, do people really assume this would be ok? In conclusion, it can be determined that my company is not telecommuter friendly.
Here’s a statement that appeared in a 1993 article in HR Magazine [emphasis added]:
Here’s a statement that appeared in a 1993 article in HR Magazine [emphasis added]:
“LINK Resources, a New York-based research firm, reports that the number of telecommuters and corporate homeworkers increased 14 percent in just one year, rising from 14.1 million in 1990 to more than 16 million in 1991. They estimate more than 19 million by 1995 and projections are that by the year 2000, approximately 25 percent of the entire corporate workforce will be telecommuting either full- or part-time.”
“It turns out most U.S. workers (70 percent) still commute to work every day, while just 2 percent telecommute full-time, according to the 2006 National Technology Readiness survey.”WTF happened?
I don’t know where I’m going with this, but I’m damn curious what is going on. Why does my company’s telecommuting policy seem to discourage telecommuting? Why isn’t my company handing me a laptop and pushing me out the door? Or at least begging me to hotrack an office with the coworker who also wants to write from home a couple days a week?
It can’t just be lack of trust. That’s too simple. What else is going on? Is my company’s stance typical of universities? Are corporations any better off? Why, when gas is $4 per gallon and “green” is the new black, is telecommuting not the norm among those people who are able? Will it get any better when the Baby Boomers retire?
Thoughts?
Thoughts?
1 comment:
uhem...Fuck 'em. Make those ripples into waves and watch them dance to the rhythm of your drum.
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