Telecommuting: Benefits and Disadvantages Report (Assessment)

Currently, a search for adequate employment conditions is a formidable task. While seeking an office position, a person has to consider every aspect of the business, including its location, working conditions, and employee benefits. However, with the rapid development of technologies, people became acquainted with the new employment arrangement model – telecommuting. The current capabilities of technologies and the Internet evolution allowed employees to work from anywhere on the planet, including their homes. This essay will describe the impact of telecommuting on different spheres, discuss its advantages and disadvantages.

The Impact of Telecommuting on Energy Conservation, IT Operational Costs, “Green Computing,” and Shifts in Telecommuters’ Lifestyles

Telecommuting appears to positively impact energy conservation, IT operational costs and grants working opportunities to people with different lifestyles, such as parents or people with disabilities. As the research states, telecommuting generally allows people to work from home, which reduces office space and, as a result, the expenses associated with the operating costs and the amount of energy use (O’Brien & Aliabadibi, 2020). Consequently, telecommuting aids in energy conservation since there are fewer offices which use energy.

Moreover, as people use their computers and do not depend on the company’s technologies, it reduces IT operations costs, making it easier to maintain a business. Furthermore, there would be less use of paper since the documentation will be handled online, making the company more environmentally committed. Therefore, a company would use ‘green computing’, which aids the environment. Telecommuting would also positively impact the people with busy lifestyles, such as parents, since it would allow them to combine work with family more efficiently, without sacrificing one another. As for people with disabilities, telecommuting would enable them to spend less time commuting, use their time efficiently, and feel more comfortable with their condition since they would meet less inconveniences.

Design the Business Infrastructure Should Have in The Event of a Disaster Making Access to the Buildings Impossible

Employees had to learn to perform in extreme circumstances rather quickly since the worldwide pandemic. The primary way businesses were allowed to function further was through telecommuting. However, if to consider a natural disaster, such as a storm, hurricane, or earthquake, which can occur at any moment and make it impossible to access the building, there are several strategies to consider. First, a company must learn all the risks associated with their office’s location to develop a unique disaster recovery plan. It is essential to have some employees work from home to ensure they continue to function during and after the disaster.

Moreover, the company should have a backup of all essential data, which has to be kept on multiple security devices. Therefore, if one device is lost, another could recover the data. Furthermore, a company should have emergency supplies if, during the disaster, there would be no access to the retailers and partners. Additionally, the company needs to access backup energy sources and alternative communications strategies since it is common to lose Internet connection and have a power shortage during a natural disaster. As a consequence, the company cannot fully prepare for the disaster, but it can minimize the losses, following its recovery strategy.

Determine Four Advantages and Four Disadvantages of Telecommuting from an IT Manager’s Point of View

There are several major ones concerning the advantages and disadvantages of telecommuting from an IT manager’s perspective. First, the benefits of cost reduction on utilities, office space, and logistics significantly impact its revenue (Shabanpoura et al., 2018). Moreover, telecommuting improves recruitment since people with moving issues can also be recruited and perform on the same level as the office workers. Furthermore, if managed properly, employees will become more productive and willing to work extra time. Additionally, workers would be available in all circumstances, including natural disasters.

Nevertheless, some disadvantages should be considered by the management before transferring to telecommuting ultimately. The first major disadvantage is supervising employees’ difficulty since it is challenging for managers to be continuously connected to the employees. Moreover, the next disadvantage is quite similar because it is linked to the challenges concerning keeping employees united within the organization’s culture (Golden & Eddleston, 2020). Furthermore, technical support costs would skyrocket since employees would be working in a less controlled environment, which can cause severe malfunctions with their work equipment. It could occur that a family member would have access to the information they are not supposed to know. Additionally, managers would have difficulties working on substantial projects since it would be challenging to manage several employees simultaneously.

Examine the Effect of Bring Your Own Device to the IT Infrastructure

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy can appear harmful for the IT infrastructure if implemented incorrectly since it would technically allow sensitive data to be obtained by unmanaged devices. Therefore, if implemented inaccurately, the essential data can be accessed by people not related to the business, which can compromise the given word’s validity. Consequently, IT managers would have the additional responsibility of securing every device by using unique costly services. Furthermore, the individual applications would be installed on each device directly connected to the corporate network. It could increase the chances of impairment of the given network, which can worsen the situation with sensitive information. In other words, implementing BYOD, although it would be better for the environment, would put another obligation on the IT managers to manage all devices connected to the corporate network.

To conclude, the usage of telecommuting, although necessary during the worldwide pandemic, comes with several benefits and disadvantages. The current capabilities of the Internet allow working during extreme situations and with severe health conditions. However, telecommuting permanently would put additional challenges on an IT manager’s work since it would be harder for them to communicate and organize employees. Consequently, the management should decide whether they are willing to make their lives harder while making the work easier for their employees.

References

Golden, T. D. & Eddleston, K. A. (2020). Is there a price telecommuters pay? Examining the relationship between telecommuting and objective career success. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 116, 103348. Web.

O’Brien, W., & Aliabadibi, F. Y. (2020). Does telecommuting save energy? A critical review of quantitative studies and their research methods.Energy Build, 225. Web.

Shabanpoura, R., Golshania, N., Tayaranib, M., Auldc, J., & Mohammadian, A. K. (2018). Analysis of telecommuting behavior and impacts on travel demand and the environment. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 62, 563-576. Web.