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VEGAS INC C OV E R STO RY Advocates: People who telework are more productive because there are fewer distractions TELECOMMUTE, From page 1 While some bosses are skittish about letting employees work from home, others view telecommuting, also known as teleworking, as a fringe benefit that reduces costs and keeps workers happy and productive. "Teleworking is more than just working from home," said Chuck Wilsker, president, CEO and co-founder of the Telework Coalition, known as TelCoa. "It's working independent of location." TelCoa advocates for the telecommuting community, teaching employers about the benefits of working remotely and educating managers about technology that can enhance the at-home work experience. It's unclear exactly how many people telecommute nationally. Wilsker said there haven't been any comprehensive studies on the topic. But it's fairly common. "It could be between 30 and 40 percent of the workforce, but we're not talking about all the time," he said. "It could be once a week or twice a month, and then you get into terminology. You ask people if they telework, and they say no because they don't know what that means. 'Do you telework?' 'No.' 'Where are you now?' 'I'm working from home.' " People work from home for a variety of reasons: scheduling, family obligations, weather concerns, traffic. Wilson started working from home when she had a baby. "The biggest thing for me is that with my son, it would have been really hard for me — as I'm sure it's very hard for a lot of moms — to leave your baby at six weeks and go back to work," Wilson said. "I didn't have to do that. I had to go 14 20131014_VI01_F.indd 14 CHRISTOPHER DeVARGAS CAREER PERK: Marina Nicola, co-founder of Vox Solid Communications, says working from home is "like a gift." back to work but not to the office." A nanny cares for Wilson's 18-monthold son, but Wilson can check on him whenever she likes. "I just walk downstairs," she said. "So not only can I get my work done, but I can manage my child care on-site." "Before I started doing this, I think I would have told you that I prefer to work in an office because I liked the interaction and the camaraderie," Wilson continued. "But now, I think of it as a time-saver. You don't have to commute. You don't have to get ready in the morning. You can dress casually, even stay in your pajamas if you want to. You don't have to fight traffic, and you don't have to spend as much money for gas." Some employers may shudder to think of their employees sitting in front of home computers in their pajamas, but not all Why telecommuting makes sense, according to advocates • Reduces real estate, facility, travel and overhead expenses. • Improves recruiting and retention of skilled labor. • Can enhance productivity, creativity and work quality. • Helps employees balance family, work and community responsibilities. • Lowers greenhouse gas emissions and reduces traffic because of decreased travel. Source: The Telework Corporation teleworkers equate working from home with casual dress, or a casual attitude. "My rule of thumb is that I wake up every morning as if I'm going into an office and get fully dressed as if I am," public relations executive Marina Nicola said. Nicola formed Vox Solid Communications in 2011 with her business partner, Erika Pope. The company has no formal office. "I think it's important to keep the mentality that you're at work, even though you're at home," Nicola said. Nicola and Pope require their employees, who also work from home, to create a weekly list of tasks and make sure they're completed by the end of the week. "We all have to-do lists, and we all have objectives that have to be reached by a certain deadline," Nicola said. Does she ever worry about employees goofing off when they should be working? "We actually have a lot of trust in each other, and everybody who is on our staff is experienced and knows their responsibilities," she said. "We have the self-discipline, the desire and the ability to work from home, so we feel we've earned it. It's almost like a gift." Pope said schedule flexibility is the best advantage of telecommuting. She juggles her professional career with her work as a wife and mother to three children, ages 6, 4 and 3 months. "I honestly don't know how I would manage it if I had a regular office job, on the clock and monitored," Pope said. Events consultant Debra Gorov said teleworking allows her to live a wellbalanced life. "I'm really able to set my own schedule, and that's important to me," said Gorov, who organizes parties from her home office. "I may start working at 6 o'clock in the morning when I first wake up. I take my kids to school and pick them up. Sometimes, I'll take them out to do | 14 October 2013 | 10/10/13 2:20:09 PM