Date: 2008-07-10 12:44 Subject: Telecommuting Security: Public

My first full-time job was 100% telecommuting. Between high school and college, I had a summer job with the local vocational-technical school to write an app that did estimations of students' program completion based on about half a dozen factors. They sent me home with a carload of Apple II stuff, and told me to let them know how I was doing every week or two, then bring in the finished product at the end of the summer. For that, I got paid about $14/hour in today's money.

My parents were nice enough to let me take over the dining room that whole summer. I'd get up about 7:30 every morning, work until 3:30 or 4:00 in the afternoon, then go do summery stuff the rest of the day. Sure beat working evenings at the local Red Lobster, which I had done the summer before. And it taught me how to get the job done without the boss looking over my shoulder.

To this day, my best work days are those where I speak to pretty much nobody. The interrupt-driven stuff comes in through my trouble-ticketing system, and the rest of the time I decide what's highest priority. My users know that their requests are resolved fastest this way, and that interrupting me for status is the quickest way to get their request deprioritized down to somewhere below feeding the cat. (N.B. Because of reillye's allergies, we will never have a cat.)

Being a lab manager, there are days when I just have to be there. I can't move servers or run cables, or install software from CD from home. But on days like today, where all my work is at the keyboard, there is no reason for me to drive to the office. So instead, I enjoy:

1: Two free hours not spent in the car.
2: Windows that open (it's a nice day here in NJ today).
3: Natural or incandescent light.
4: No distractions == high productivity.
5: Five steps to the bathroom, no security PITA to get back to my desk.
6: Money!

That last works out like this:
Gas: 80 miles r/t, 27mpg, $4.20/gal = ~$12.50, more if I go out to lunch or get stuck in traffic
Lunch: Usually about $6.50
Tolls: $1.20
Plus devaluation and wear and tear on the car, harder to quantify.

So that's around $20 a day I spend for the privilege of going to work. And the only downside is that I fall behind on my podcasts. I think I can work with that.

From: blamedstarlie Date: 2008-07-10 05:25 pm (UTC) (Link)

Podcasts can be listened to in the shade with a tall glass of something. If only all work at home people where so productive... The husband is increasingly finding it hard to convince people he just wants to get the job done and actually save them money and time. Mostly due to others need to procrastinate.

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From: edhorch Date: 2008-07-10 06:54 pm (UTC) (Link)

If more people actually worked when they said they were telecommuting, and not just taking a faux vacation day, then the rest of us wouldn't be watched so closely when we do.

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From: eliseamelie Date: 2008-07-10 06:02 pm (UTC) (Link)

Today I decided that starting next week, I'm going to keep track of how many miles I drive each week in my truck. I can't start this week because it's Thursday and I'm going to Denver in the car. I'm sure I can keep it under 10 miles a week on average, a bit more on the weeks I have to take recycling to the other side of town and my trip to Goodwill.

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From: edhorch Date: 2008-07-10 06:56 pm (UTC) (Link)

I'd blow that limit in two trips to the gym. Out here in the exurbs, things are pretty spread out, and the nearest bus stop is two miles away.

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From: eliseamelie Date: 2008-07-10 07:06 pm (UTC) (Link)

We take the car for most trips, the truck is for hauling stuff and in-town trips only. I could actually bike to work if I had the time right now. My volunteer jobs are very close to home.

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