Assignment: Telecommuting

Overview

With technological advancements, many employees are able to work from home one or more days per week. Telecommuting is becoming more popular and allows an employee to take advantage of technology and complete tasks from home or a coffee shop. With globalization and organizations hiring employees from different countries, it becomes imperative for employers to embrace telecommuting because of the added benefits for not only the employees but also the employer. Some of the advantages for both the employer and employees are highlighted in the following table:

Telecommuting Benefits

Employer Benefits Employee Benefits

Interestingly enough in February 2013, the CEO of Yahoo (Marissa Mayer) implemented a policy to stop the company's popular working-from-home program. According to Cohan (2013), a memo sent to Yahoo employees emphasized the following:

• "We need to be one Yahoo!, and that starts with physically being together."

• "Some of the best decisions and insights come from hallway and cafeteria discussions, meeting new people, and impromptu team meetings."

• "Speed and quality are often sacrificed when we work from home."

Although Marissa Mayer of Yahoo has been widely criticized for her decision, it is important to note that she has to look out for what is in her organization's best interest. As a CEO, difficult decisions must be made that may not always satisfy and resonate with all employees.

Drawing on the material in the background readings and doing additional research, please prepare a 4-5 page paper (not including the cover and reference pages) in which you:

• Analyze the pros and cons of telecommuting from a human resource professional perspective and discuss the added value of telecommuting when recruiting new talent. Also, what impact will telecommuting have on an organization's overall image?

• What trainings could you provide for efficient telecommuting?

Assignment Expectations

Your paper will be evaluated on the following points:

• Precision - Does the paper address the question(s) or task(s)?

• Clarity - Is the writing clear and the concepts articulated properly? Are paraphrasing and synthesis of concepts the primary means of response to the questions, or are excessive use of quotations how thoughts are conveyed? Are headings included in all papers greater than 2 pages?

• Breadth - Is the full breadth of the subject addressed?

• Depth - Does the paper address the topic in sufficient depth?

• Grammar, spelling and vocabulary - Is the paper written well - is the grammar, spelling, and vocabulary suitable to graduate level work?

• Referencing (citations and references) - Does the paper use citations and quotation marks when appropriate?

• Critical thinking - Is the subject thought about critically, i.e., accurately, logically, relevantly, and precisely?