Susan in KY Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 We have been having a family debate, and I am curious. If one chooses a job involving telecommuting most of the time (for our purposes, say 95%), is it more likely one would be let go first in a downsizing? Does "out of sight out of mind" apply in most cases? Poll up soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleIzumi Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 My dad has been doing this for years. However, he is the only one doing his job at the company. He goes on his business trips like usual and has his teleconferences like he would from the office, and he comes in for the monthly meeting if he's in town. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxMom Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 (edited) No, I don't think that's necessarily the case. It may be the case that companies hire more worker bees in the form of telecommuters before making an infrastructure commitment, and that could end up as a "first for layoff" situation. When I worked in IT consulting, the vast majority of people I knew telecommuted; the only people in the office full time were the "non-producers" - HR, administrative support, accounting and the like. If they'd fired based on telecommuting, there would be no income. I think it depends entirely on the job you're doing. *that would be an "other" response. Edited November 11, 2011 by MyCrazyHouse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 Probably at some companies that's true, but I'm sure it's not at others. Dh sometimes telecommutes (probably about 20% of the time) and it's definitely the case that at his company, they care a lot more about the results than whether you're there. Also, telecommuting can save companies money in many cases. So I voted no. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jar7709 Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 I also answered "other" because it depends. If someone is telecommuting but doing a job easily done by others in the company (for example, word processing), and/or they can not complete their job as well telecommuting than they would in an office, then, yes, maybe they could be sooner to be let go. But if someone's position is essential and the person's skills are more specialized within that company, and the telecommuting does not get in the way of the person completing the work in a professional manner, then no. My experience: I've been mostly telecommuting for about 5 years, since I went back to work after DD was born. In that time I've survived three rounds of layoffs, and barring some significant change in my company's client base, I think my job is safe for as long as I want it and can keep my clients and bosses happy. Yes, I am very lucky! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veritaserum Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 No. My dad has telecommuted for over seven years. He flies to meet people in person about once a month. He specializes in a certain type of software/computer engineering (chips and assembly language type stuff), so he would only be let go if the whole company was going under. It probably depends on the position. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 I think it *really* depends upon what the job is. some telecommuters are doing a job that is akin to cubicle land without the cubicle. Other's are doing a "real" job that just happens to be online and is very flexible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine State Sue Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 (edited) I've been telecommuting for 9+ years now and have escaped many lay-offs. The first 5 of those years, I worked 20hrs/wk. Now I work 30hrs/wk. I'm conscientious, flexible, reliable, communicative, professional, and I'm good at what I do. I worked in the office for 12+ years before I started telecommuting, so I had a good track record beforehand. I started telecommuting b/c dh changed careers and attended school in another state, then found a job in yet another state. More and more people are telecommuting these days. It does save companies money. Edited November 12, 2011 by Sue in St Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlmiraGulch Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 No. Telecommuting is a common practice now in many industries and is an excellent way for companies to hire the best available candidates from a much broader candidate pool, rather than relying on immediate geography. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in KY Posted November 12, 2011 Author Share Posted November 12, 2011 Thanks to all for your responses! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
higginszoo Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 In most cases, the fact that there's not a face to go with the diembodied name on the phone and in emails can be a liability, but I've also seen situations where companies have recognized the fact that not having to provide a work site can seriously cut down on overhead, and in some cases, allow for them to draw from a wider talent pool (larger geographic area). I think that it can go both ways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparrow Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 In most cases, the fact that there's not a face to go with the diembodied name on the phone and in emails can be a liability, but I've also seen situations where companies have recognized the fact that not having to provide a work site can seriously cut down on overhead, and in some cases, allow for them to draw from a wider talent pool (larger geographic area). I think that it can go both ways. :iagree: I telecommuted for an IT position within a major Midwestern university for over 7 years. My co-workers lived in Montreal, Israel, and Alaska. It was a university environment instead of public sector, so I'm not sure if that makes a difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 I answered other, mostly because I think it depends heavily on the industry and the employee. My dh telecommutes. We are fairly confident in his job security because he is the go-to guy on their tech support problems. However, if he didn't have nearly 20 years of field experience with that company I doubt he would be that big of an asset. I think companies are beginning to realize the cost effectiveness of telecommuting as well. It works well in the right situations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 Not necessarily. It depends on the company. Telecommuters are usually the cheaper employees. They aren't usually at the top of the list to chop because of that. Seniority often comes into play, though, so if you're a newbie all bets are off anyway. If a union is involved, that's a whole other ball of wax. I don't think, however, that you can make a clear call on the topic without taking the actual company into consideration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 In most cases, the fact that there's not a face to go with the diembodied name on the phone and in emails can be a liability, but I've also seen situations where companies have recognized the fact that not having to provide a work site can seriously cut down on overhead, and in some cases, allow for them to draw from a wider talent pool (larger geographic area). I think that it can go both ways. :iagree: I answered other. I know telecommuters at my husband's company have been laid off because they aren't as tied into things at the office. But other telecommuters that go head over heels to stay in touch are worth their weight. I think it really depends on the employee, the job in question, and the culture of a particular company whether or not telecommuters might be the first to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remudamom Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 It's official, I watch too much sci-fi. I read telecommuting but thought teleporting. And also thought, sounds great, someone invent a machine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 I think it depends on the job being performed by the telecommuter. For example, is the telemarketer in sales? As long as they are making their numbers then they would not be terminated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfunnybunch Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 No. Dh has been telecommuting for 15 years (or more). He has not seen this at his company. He is in software development. More often than not, now, meetings are phone meetings. There may be 2-3 people in the actual meeting room, and the rest of the people phone in (as opposed to when he started, when he was the only one on the phone). He's survived several rounds of layoffs. His company office has closed office buildings and created common work spaces, as opposed to individual offices, because so many people telecommute. His admittedly anecdotal experience is that the people let go first have been the people who aren't doing their jobs effectively, the people whose knowledge/area of expertise has become obsolete and who haven't continued to educate themselves other areas of their field, and people who don't get along with their bosses. Strategies that have helped him (in his opinion): He visits the main office yearly to get face-to-face contact with his boss; he keeps up with changes and is constantly participating in ongoing education; he makes himself and his experience available to colleagues who need input or help. Things that make anyone a valuable employee. :) Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 I am going on 11 years of telecommunting here. Our company has seen cutbacks and folks let go. The folks let go are generally the ones with the least experience - telecommuting or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheres Toto Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 I voted no also because of the savings provided by having telecommuters. Depending on the size of a business, they can pay a lot less overhead by having telecommuters for appropriate positions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Goldwater Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 When my division was dissolved, both me and several other tele-commuters were severed, along with a number of 'brick & mortar' salaried employees...the one guy retained to shepard the dissolution was a home-officer/telecomuter :confused: I don't see it as a factor...it's just headcount...at least in my experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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