A different kind of commuting for Long Islanders

For you, it’s another bad weather day. For me, it’s work as usual. Road warrior? Meet the telecommuter. 

It may have been useful in wintery weather in East Meadow this past season, but according to hrhero.com, telecommuting found its origin in warm and sunny California in the 1970s as a way to reduce traffic and save the earth.  And nearly thirty years later, according to The Dieringer Research Group, history may note 2008 as the pivotal moment when “the technology required for productive remote working and the urgent need for remote working (due to high fuel prices) converged…”

So if you’re an old hand at this “away from the office” work, or you wish to join the ranks, come share the spotlight with approximately 2.8 million of your friends — not counting the self-employed or those 20-30 million who telecommute at least one day a week.

For me, a forward-thinking creative director at a top direct marketing agency approached me with the idea in 1993 after I told the company I was staying home to raise my daughter. I worked on new business pitches – research with a single phone line, a fax machine and WordPerfect (remember?) to guide me. The opportunity was priceless. And the telecommuting worked because managing by observation is replaced by managing by results. No daydreaming while the winds blow cold, the days of the stereotypical telecommuter in pajamas and fuzzy slippers is over because we are as motivated for success as any staff member punching the clock.

Furthermore, the Dieringer ’s survey report,  Telework Trendlines, also found that occasional telecommuting is on the rise; the most common locations for remote work are home, car and a customer’s place of business; restaurants and libraries are becoming less common locations for telecommuting (sorry Starbucks); and today’s telecommuters are most often 40-year-old male college graduates in a higher income household (well, there’s room for exceptions).

But when looking at the chance to maintain a seamless resume despite life cycle events (marriages, children, moves and even blizzards), how do telecommuters make it work?