For the approximately 26 million American telecommuters the benefits of working remotely – from a home office or other non-workplace setting – clearly outweigh the drawbacks, but they do exist.  One of the biggest issues facing teleworkers is worker isolation. If one works with a team, but from remote locations, there can be a loss of cohesion amongst members. If one primarily works independently and there is no central office to work from, the reduced social interacting can be a negative drain on one’s psyche.  There are many ways to combat this telecommuting-created worker isolation, from involving oneself in outside professional groups or “meet-ups” and volunteering in the community to telework centers and desk-sharing within a physical office to create a more work-like setting. 

In 2010 WorldatWork reported that 84 percent of teleworkers did so one day or more each week.  These people enjoy some of the many perks to working remotely: reduced commuting/driving time and the costs associated with transportation and schedule-flexibility are just a few.  But what happens when one of the, at times, inevitable side-effects of telework rears its head? Working from home or other non-office setting can be devastatingly isolating to the worker who even in particularly solo realms would occasionally benefit from not only the social aspect of interacting with others, but also the professional aspect of being able to bounce ideas off of another or keep abreast of the latest topics in their specific career.

In its article on avoiding the isolation of telecommuting, telecommutetalk.com suggests attending professional meet-ups in one’s area. These gatherings are offered for any number of professional or personal interest areas in almost every major city in the country. Utilizing a site such as Meetup.com can put workers into contact with others that attend these meetings which serve as a great basis for social and professional networking and discussing topics of interest for their fields.  The article also recommends, as simple as it sounds, volunteering in one’s community in order to avoid some of the pitfalls of isolation that can occur when one primarily works alone.

The information technology world contains high numbers of independent contractors who have no physical office to call home, even if they wanted to! For these people, working from home or the local WiFi-offering coffee shop have been two of the main options for work locations.  Many of these individuals would enjoy the setup of a physical office for social and professional reasons. Telework centers are actual office spaces where workers can rent a portion of a desk or individual space from an outside organization for their office use. These centers are wired for internet connection and outfitted with the other pieces of equipment necessary for in-office work, and may even be staffed with receptionists for further assistance. 

If you are an employer that wishes to better manage your staff of telecoworkers there are employer-based ways to do so, also.  One tool the manager can use is video or web conferencing on a regular basis to keep remote workers in connection and contact with team members and leaders in other settings.  Not only do these conferences help with the general flow of ideas amongst team members, they also serve as a way to keep a feeling of camaraderie and social connection for teleworkers and in-office workers alike. 

Author: Stacia Argoudelis

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Tags: telecommuting