CommuterPageBlog: Telework Series: Work is Something You Do, Not Someplace You Go

July 20, 2012

Telework Series: Work is Something You Do, Not Someplace You Go

This is a four-part series about the state of telework. It looks at why an idea as great as sliced bread hasn’t reached its full potential. The series is based on an interview with Chuck Wilsker (pictured), who is a member of The Mobility Collaborative, consisting of some of the world’s top thinkers on transportation options, and President and CEO of The Telework Coalition, the leading telework non-profit in the United States.

Since telework is such a no-brainer in many ways, why hasn’t it taken off as much as one would think?

There have been many reasons over the years, including resistance to change, technology issues, and security concerns.

Another reason is the word “telework” itself. It has carried some baggage, including not only the reasons I just mentioned, but also that many people just don’t understand what it means.Some think it refers to “telemarketers” who call at all of the wrong times. We’re starting to see more migration from using “telework” to using “mobility, especially with the proliferation of smart phones and pad devices.

One thing we’ve found is that people who ask for teleworking or telecommuting arrangements from their employers are more readily accepted when they use the te"telework" because it contains the word work.