For the telecommuter, there seems to be nothing but benefits by working from home - no time wasted in traffic, greater schedule flexibility.  Tim Ferriss, in his 4 Hour Workweek, champions the virtues of working remotely.  Recently, he wrote about calculating the cost of telecommuting.  As much as I love many of Tim’s ideas, I think that there is a very BIG negative impact of telecommuting that directly affects the telecommuter. 

Negatives of Telecommuting from Different Perspectives

When people talk about the negatives of telecommuting, they its almost always talked about from the business perspective.  Businesses are worried about decreased productivity, the unavailability of their workers, less ability to provide direction and guidance, etc.  

A friend of mine who worked at a major US corporation said that they decided to cut back on telecommuting policy because the CEO needed to get ahold of one of his direct reports in the middle of the work day and could not.  He found out later that the guy was mowing his lawn.

Most telecommuters will just shrug that off as not being their problem or argue that they are more productive and can be counted on.  Unfortunately, these are just short-term impacts that affect the business and not the worker.  The long-term impact can be much more career-limiting.

Telecommuting Stunts Your Career Growth

To grow in your professional career, you need to have a relationship with your supervisor and other members of the management team.   

If you do not have this relationship, you will not be able to advance in your career.  I’m sure there are exceptions in which workers have advanced in their career while telecommuting, but the fact of the matter is that with less exposure to your fellow workers, supervisor, and management, there is less of a chance that you will impress your boss and his peers. 

If you aspire to be in management, you are even more limited.  Most companies want supervisors who are in the office and can actively manage their team.  This is much harder to do when you are not around to meet in person. 

When Telecommuting is a Good Fit

A good friend of mine is very successful and happy telecommuting 20 hours per week as a graphic designer.  She makes more than enough to live a comfortable life and she does not have to spend day and night working.  Fortunately for her, she is a “technician”. 

A technician is someone who performs a specific function individually and does not need a team to supervise or help her.  These are the people who can work more productively remotely and is not hindered by their career path because their career is about being a technician. 

Telecommuter Beware 

 If your goal is to have a trade and be a good technician the rest of your life, I think that the telecommuting might be a good fit for you.  But if you want to advance in the business world, beware of the short-term advantages of telecommuting because they only hide a bigger negative.  Or better yet, just scrap it all and become a Lazy Business Owner!