Heard from a friend today that a major firm in Fairfield County Connecticut will have it's 250-500 workers work from home. They will attempt to lease out their space to another firm. Folks, companies are in survival mode. LEAN all the way, streamlining everything possible to stay afloat. Cost centers must now explore ways to become profit centers.
Maybe this is when we'll see telecommuting really start to take hold in a big way. There is really no need for some people to go to work in an office building, especially when they can have all calls routed to them and can access all pertinent info online. People shoot emails all day long to co-workers that sit 10 ft. away from them in an office. All we need is more favorable tax/depreciation treatment from IRS when it comes to at-home employment and we're off to the future!! It'll save companies billions.
All we need is more favorable tax/depreciation treatment from IRS when it comes to at-home employment and we're off to the future!! It'll save companies billions. ----------------------------------- Just going from memory, but about the time cos were downsizing and opps for independent contractors and consultants begin to appear in increasing numbers is when the IRS changed the home office rules for the worse. I doubt the IRS ill re write favorable rules.
You're right about telecommuting - it needs to become the next revolution. It would reduce our dependence on gasoline and transportation. It would free up our highways. It would increase quality of living by having more time at home and family. Mobile telecom already provides unlimited txt and calling for something like $60 a month. VOIP costs almost nothing. Email is instantaneous and we have blackberries. Laptops already come with webcams for conferencing built in. There is no reason why we can't have more telecommuting.
I'm just not convinced people have really thought this through. Yes, it makes business sense, but then why are so many call centres routed to India, or elsewhere? It's already BEING outsourced, and it won't stop until wages are truly third world. Besides which, most "actual" business needs feet on the ground, trades, lawyers, construction, dog grooming, whatever. Yes, you "could" do it cheaper by telecommuting, but if a modern business can be made or broke on that basis, they are likely screwed anyway. On the other hand, well, what the heck do they do in these city (commercial) offices anyway? Never heard anyone say, "Well, gotta go into the city on xyz floor of whatever building, gotta get some biz done."