14. The Realities of Telecommuting 远程办公的现状

14. The Realities of Telecommuting 远程办公的现状

①Telecommuting-------substituting the computer for the trip to the job-------has been hailed as a solution to all kinds of problems related office work.

②For worker it promises freedoms from the offices,less time wasted  in traffic,and helps with child-care conflicts.For management,telecommuting helps keep high performers on board.minimizes tardiness and absenteeism by eliminating commutes.allows periods of solitude for high-concentration tasks,and provides scheduling flexibility.In some areas,such as South California and Seattle,Washington,local governments are encouraging companies to start to telecommuting programs in order to reduce rush-hour congestion and improve air quality.

③But these benefits do not come easily.Making a telecommuting program work requires careful planning and an understanding of the differences between telecommuting realities and popular images. 

④Many workers are seduced by rosy illusions of life as a telecomputer.A computer program from New York cities moves to the tranquil Adirondack Mountains and stays in contact with her office via computer.A manager comes into his office three days a week and works at home the other two.An accountant stays home to care for her sick child;she hooks up her telephone modern connections and does office work between calls to the doctor.

⑤There are powerful images,but they are a limited reflection of reality.Telecommuting workers soon learn that it is almost impossible to concentration on work and care for a young child at the same time.Before a certain age,young children can‘t recognize,much less respect,the necessary boundaries between work and family.Additional child support is necessary  if the parent to get any work done.

⑥Management,too,must separate the myth from the reality.Although the media has paid a great deal of attention to telecommuting,in most cases it is employee‘s situation,not the availability of technology,that precipitates a telecommuting arrangement.

⑦That is partly why,despite the widespread press coverage,the number of companies with work at home programs or policy guidelines remains small.