What are some of the disadvantages and concerns regarding telework?

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Telecommuting, remote work, or telework is a work arrangement in which employees do not commute to a central place of work. These terms were coined by Jack Nilles in 1973 (JALA International). A person who telecommutes is known as a “telecommuter,” “teleworker,” and sometimes as a “home-sourced” employee. Many telecommuters work from home, while others, sometimes called “nomad workers” use mobile telecommunications technology to work from coffee shops or other locations. According to a Reuters poll, approximately “one in five workers around the globe, particularly employees in the Middle East, Latin America and Asia, telecommute frequently and nearly 10 percent work from home everyday” (Reaney, 2012).

In February, 2013, Yahoo CEO, Marissa Mayer, discontinued Yahoo’s telecommuting program, sparking a national debate. For this activity, perform an Internet search for Policies and Procedures for Teleworking. Review the policies from several different companies and organizations, and then enter this forum and discuss the following:

  • Advantages and benefits associated with telework from the perspective of both workers and companies/organizations.
  • What are some of the disadvantages and concerns regarding telework? Again, include both the worker and organization perspectives.
  • What are the main points? How are they alike? How do they differ?