Working away from the office: Benefits and drawbacks

© CyberText Consulting Pty Ltd 1

WORKING AWAY FROM THE OFFICE: Benefits and drawbacks

Rhonda BraceyACESMarch 2015

#cybertext#ACES2015

Worked remotely full-time since Feb 2007

Several long-term clients in that time (Australia, Israel, US)

Main client since late 2008: Chevron (Gorgon LNG Project)

Rarely, if ever, meet my clients/work colleagues

Mostly do technical editing for large teams of authors

About me



© CyberText Consulting Pty Ltd

“The virtual office has existed for at least a century... Clothing factories used to drop off piecework at the homes of stay-at-home mothers who would sew the pieces together and receive payment on a per-item basis. …it’s simple enough to give a worker a remote login to your network, a high-speed Internet connection, or whatever other connectivity service she requires.”

Lee, TJ. The Virtual Office: Part 2www.thenakedpc.com/articles/v02/20/0220-03.html

http://www.thenakedpc.com/articles/v02/20/0220-03.html

<date>© CyberText Consulting Pty Ltd 7

How many minutes of this per day? 10? 20? 30? 45? 60? More?

“I’m sitting in a traffic jam, in the car that I need to get to work, so that I can pay for the house that I’m never in.”

How far/long is your daily commute?


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RAC WA Horizons, June/July 2014, p9

Only to face this for 8+ hours…


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10

Just 3 minutes walk away…


Positives


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No commute; no madly running errands on the way home; no ironing; more time for family, leisure activities

More discretionary time

Reduce or cut out: expensive lunches, snacks, drinks (coffee); parking, public transport, fuel, car wear and tear; wardrobe updates, laundry, shoes/stockings, makeup/hair/nails

Reduced costs (~$10,000 pa saved)

No/fewer meetings; no water cooler chat; few ad hoc interruptions (‘prairie dogging’); little office politics

Greater productivity

Few interruptions meet deadlines; work hours to suit body clock/commitments; not rushing; fewer take-outs/meals out; more time for exercise; don’t catch/transmit bugs

Less stress/better health

Not running car as often; not consuming as much Reduced footprint on Earth

But it’s not all roses…

Negatives


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Miss ad hoc work and social relationships with co-workers; out of the loop; no body language/facial expression nuances Isolation

Possible increase in power/internet/phone costs; equipment/software costs if employer doesn’t provide; dedicated office space and furniture

Increased costs

Family/friends may assume you’re always available to do other tasks (chores, shopping, kid taxi, coffee/lunch etc.)

Interruptions

Managers/co-workers may assume you’re doing nothing or doing things other than work

Perceptions

Can be too easy to work all hours and not separate home/work lifeOverworking

Self-discipline is essential otherwise you’ll get nothing done; beware of distracting yourself with non-work tasksUnderworking

Self-distractions….


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It’s about managing…


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Yourself and your time (discipline, routine, distractions)

Perceptions of others (ALWAYS be available during core hours)

Interruptions (train your spouse, family, friends)

Your workspace (dedicated is best, with a door)

Your mental and physical health (exercise regime, social contact)

Your employer/manager (who pays for what; negotiate core hours)


Helping hands: If you have these…


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Consider telecommuting

(at least some of the time)

Existing work/

network

Existing reputation

Supportive employer

Supportive family

Good self-discipline

Appropriate environment

Work types conducive for telecommuting

Suitable work types: ANY! Occasional, temporary, PT, FT, permanent, consultant, contractor…

Suitable time periods: ANY! Full-time, few days a week, occasional, temporarily FT for a period…


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Temporary situations for telecommuting

Physical health issues: e.g.: short-/long-term conditions (e.g. chronic

fatigue, broken limb)

recovering from illness/hospital stay

temporary or permanent physical limitations

Mental health issues: e.g. anxiety disorders

Personal issues: e.g.: primary caregiver for an extended period but can work

some of the time

need time to meet/consult others (e.g. dealing with financial/health/car/house issues etc.)


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Takeaways:

Internet essential—the faster the better

Remote access and collaboration tools are getting better all the time

Keep in contact—have regular voice meetings with manager/colleagues

Connecting Technologies21


Internet


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MINIMUM: Fast broadband/fiber connection

Websites, email, social media

Conference calls: phone and/or video

Transfer/backup data files

Connect securely to another system (VPN)

Work on another system as though you were there (Windows Remote Desktop: free)

Instant messaging (e.g. Microsoft Lync in corporate environment)

Telephony


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Landline, mobile, VOIP (e.g. Skype, Cisco)

Skype:

• Computer to computer (free)

• Smartphone app, conference calls, video calls, chat, voicemail, file transfer, screen sharing...

Cisco IP Phone option if already used in office:

• Office phone directory

• Dedicated local number/extension


Web conference/screen sharing tools


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Provider Pricing (in US$, as at June 2014) Website

WebExFree (up to 3 people); $24/month (up to 8); $49/month (up to 25)

www.webex.com

GoToMeeting $49/month (up to 25); 30-day free trial www.gotomeeting.com

Adobe Connect

From $45/month; also ‘pay per use’ option: 32c/user/minute

http://www.adobe.com/products/adobeconnect.html

Microsoft Lync Online

Various prices depending on Office 365 subs, corporate installations etc.

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/office365/lync-online.aspx

Join Me Free; Pro version from $13/month www.join.me

Fuze Meeting Free (up to 25); $8/month (up to 125)https://www.fuzebox.com/pricing

A Google search for web conferencing applications gives >92 million results! Many apps are suitable for tablets too. Examples:

http://www.webex.com/

http://www.gotomeeting.com/

http://www.adobe.com/products/adobeconnect.html

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/office365/lync-online.aspx

http://www.join.me/

https://www.fuzebox.com/pricing

Remote access requirements


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If you need to access:

your own system while on the road

a client’s system from anywhere

then you’ll need this information…

Domain name, username, password

Client sys admin to allow VPN access

Tools to provide access, such as:

Remote Desktop (Windows; free!)

remote access to server and networked PCs via web

Microsoft Outlook Web App (if using Exchange Server [or VPN to use Outlook])

commercial desktop and web tools

Commercial remote access tools


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Provider Pricing (US$, as at June 2014) Website

GoToMyPC$10/month for access to one PC (30-day free trial)

www.gotomypc.com

LogMeIn From $99/year (free trial) www.logmein.com

TeamViewer From $699/year www.teamviewer.com

Soonr From $30/month (3 users) www.soonr.com

Examples:

http://www.gotomypc.com/

http://www.logmein.com/

http://www.teamviewer.com/

http://www.soonr.com/

IT help


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If no access to corporate IT help, consider ‘pay per use’ on-demand, on-site, or remote services

Some have pre-paid cover plans, and/or managed IT services

Example collaboration tools


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Document sharing tools (e.g. Google Drive, Office 365)

File sharing tools (e.g. Microsoft OneDrive, DropBox)

Project management tools (e.g. BaseCamp, ToodleDo)

Microsoft SharePoint: Tries to do all the above in the one package; success varies…

Other: Content management systems, wikis, forums, blogs, Twitter (!)

Twitter examples


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Takeaways:

Essentials: dedicated space with a door

Get a GOOD chair

Home Office31





Minimum equipment


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PC and/or laptop

Modem/router (preferably with WiFi)

Printer (multifunction = smaller footprint—copy, scan, print, fax)

Headset (or microphone + speakers [often built-in to laptops])

External, portable hard drives and thumb drives

Phone (smartphone is ‘one device to rule them all’)

Nice to have…


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Tablet (iPad, Samsung [Android], etc.)

WiFi connection (built-in to later laptops; on phone/tablet)

Webcam (built-in to later laptops; on phone/tablet)

Travel-sized bits and pieces (mouse, cables, chargers [portable battery])

Digital voice recorder (try your phone/tablet)

Digital camera (or phone/tablet camera)

Stuff for your body


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Decent desk + chair (you’ll spend a LOT of hours at both, so don’t scrimp)

Quiet/free from distractions (noise-canceling headphones, ear plugs)

Good lighting

Temperature control

Exercise

Just for video and conference calls

<date>© CyberText Consulting Pty Ltd

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Check background for inappropriate, messy, personal items (test!)(watch for things growing out of your head; use fake background image or screen to cover mess)

Ban pets, children, others from the room (lock the door, ‘On Air’ sign)

Work in a silent room if possible (no background noises: screeching birds, barking dogs, vacuum cleaners, drills, microwave beeps, etc.)

Mute any room noises (e.g. phones, alarms, notification pings)

Screen sharing (minimal desktop icons; ‘clean’ file/folder names)

Watch for bright lighting (can distract, wash out, or make your face dark)

Just for video calls

http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/118944-five-video-skype-tips-background


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http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/118944-five-video-skype-tips-background

Takeaways:

Costs of commuting are huge—time, money, mental health

‘Employers of choice’ are those that offer flexible approaches to where/how you work

Facts and figures40


Some facts…


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UK companies spent £24 billion on business travel in 20111

It costs UK employers £7000 per person per desk for office workers1

90% of office workers would like to work from home some of the time1

35% of tech professionals would sacrifice up to 10% of their salaries for full-time telecommuting2

Microsoft dramatically reduced Australian office rent by encouraging employees to telecommute and ‘hot desk’3

1. From "Home of the future" Episode 2: Work (TwoFour Broadcast Ltd, 2012; presenter Chris Sanderson)2. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/040511-it-telecommute.html3. http://www.afr.com/p/tech-gadgets/don_bother_coming_in_microsoft_plans_4awi53i0X9pUPfK5hk6KnK

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/040511-it-telecommute.html

http://www.afr.com/p/tech-gadgets/don_bother_coming_in_microsoft_plans_4awi53i0X9pUPfK5hk6KnK

Results from studies on commuting…


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Lengthy, unpredictable commutes affect physical and emotional wellbeing1

Commuting strain nervousness/tension, pain/stiffness, irritability, fatigue1

>10% of parents in paid employment spend more time each week commuting than with their children1

On the IBM Commuter Pain Index2 (1 to 100), Beijing and Mexico City = 99, Sydney 40, Toronto 32, Los Angeles 25, New York 19, Houston 17

31% surveyed3 said traffic was often so bad they turned around and went home (69% in Beijing!)

1. From Flood, Michael and Barbato, Claire (2005) Off to Work: Commuting in Australia, Australia Institute, Canberra.2. IBM Commuter Pain Index (2011): http://www-03.ibm.com/press/au/en/pressrelease/33560.wss3. IBM Commuter Pain Index (2010): http://www-03.ibm.com/press/au/en/pressrelease/32029.wss

http://www-03.ibm.com/press/au/en/pressrelease/33560.wss

http://www-03.ibm.com/press/au/en/pressrelease/32029.wss

Effects of commuting on mental health


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Main article: http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/nov/01/secrets-worlds-happiest-cities-commute-property-prices

Swedish study: http://www.samfak.umu.se/english/about-the-faculty/news/newsdetailpage/long-distance-commuters-get-divorced-more-

often.cid160978

Stutzer and Frey (German study): http://ideas.repec.org/p/zur/iewwpx/151.html

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/nov/01/secrets-worlds-happiest-cities-commute-property-prices

http://www.samfak.umu.se/english/about-the-faculty/news/newsdetailpage/long-distance-commuters-get-divorced-more-often.cid160978

http://ideas.repec.org/p/zur/iewwpx/151.html

Takeaways: Search for ‘remote working’, teleworking’

‘telecommuting’, ‘working from home’ Plenty available on benefits/costs of

telecommuting and convincing arguments for your boss

List of some on my blog: http://cybertext.wordpress.com/2012/11/03/resources-for-remote-working-presentation/ (all links checked and updated January 2015)

Resources44


cybertext.wordpress.com/2012/11/03/resources-for-remote-working-presentation/

Just for fun….

<date>© CyberText Consulting Pty Ltd

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Any questions?

Contact me:

Email: [email protected]

Website: http://www.cybertext.com.au

Blog: http://cybertext.wordpress.com

Twitter: @cybertext

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/rhondabracey

Thank you…46


mailto:[email protected]

http://www.cybertext.com.au/

http://cybertext.wordpress.com/

http://www.linkedin.com/in/rhondabracey

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