The Ideal Teleworker

Issues to Anticipate

Being a teleworker means considering the following issues. These issues can determine whether an employee’s telework experience is successful or not.

Safety

A teleworker is responsible for the safety of job-related data and equipment while teleworking. This includes meeting standards for protecting information from theft and corruption. Studying security methods may be necessary, as are traditional measures like locked file cabinets.

Planning ahead

Having a different workspace potentially everyday means a teleworker must plan ahead and make sure they have with them all the resources they will need. This includes equipment and work-related files, and may also include having call forwarding and voicemail available, too. A successful telework can organize and improvise when the unanticipated happens—but the important thing is to limit the unanticipated in the first place.

Managing expectations

A teleworker needs to plan for events that will affect their schedule. For instance, they may need to go into the office to compensate for a co-worker who is ill. Their work must be done regardless of how inconvenient it becomes. A teleworker should remember that they are a member of a team that depends on them, and vice versa, at all times.