Home Based Employees

It has started.  No more IT Help Desk on Saturdays.  The IT people now have the option of working at home on a company laptop.  I estimate that 40% of the office jobs here in the local area can be done by home based employees.  If direct contact with a product or a customer is not required, then that job can be done by a home based employee.


40% of work being done by home based employees means 40% less office space required.  Also 40% less desks, cabinets, etc. required to be purchased, 40% less office rent, utilities, and upkeep to be paid.  Unfortunately, it also means that 40% fewer engineers, security guards, cleaners, and office support personnel will have to be paid.


What it means to the home based employees is no special office clothes required.  They can work in their pajamas.  It also means no auto required for commuting to work.  No car payment, insurance, gas, or upkeep expenses to be paid.  No outside food expenses either.  And one real biggy, no more childcare expenses.


Over the course of the next 10 - 20 years you will see a large migration of employers to home based employee programs.  It  is not just the office space overhead that the employers will save.  The home based employee will take less wages because he does not have as many expenses.


There are two things which serve as a deterrence to an immediate switch to home based employees.  Bosses and the employees themselves.


Every worker knows the boss who is the attendance taker.  He jumps you if you are a second late reporting to work, or leave a minute early for lunch.  Everybody knows the office ogre.  He exists just to make the lives of his workers miserable.  Every worker knows the micro-manager.  He is always bent over the shoulder of an employee ensuring that the work is being done EXACTLY the way the micro-manager wants.  Absolutely no variation allowed.


Some employees are as bad as their bosses.  Some workers do not have the initiative to even go to the office unless they know that a boss is there checking on them.  Some employees have to be bullied and threatened into doing their work.  Some employees have to have a boss standing over them or they turn out substandard work.  Also some employees have doubts about themselves and require personal encouragement from the boss and coworkers.


The home based employee will be a new breed of worker.  He has to insure that he has all information available with which to do his job.  He must meet all time schedule and suspense dates.  He must ensure that his work is accurate and formatted correctly.  Just as if he was working for himself.  Which, in effect he is.  He is being paid for his results, not for being in the office.


When a company realizes that switching to home based employees will provide it with an edge over its competitors then it will begin a transition into a home based employee program.  Other companies in the same industry will have to make the switch to home based employees to remain competitive.


Don't think it will work?


There are many bright individuals now, champing at the bit, saying, "Let me show you!".