Just Stay Home

I work from home. Or if you prefer a fancier word, I telecommute. I’ve been a telecommuter since 2000 – that’s a dozen years of not having to work in an office.

My work wardrobe consists of yoga pants, T-shirts and tennis shoes. My daily commute consists of a walk out of my bedroom, down the stairs and into my home office.

Just think of all the money I’ve saved by not buying business suits and gasoline. My carbon footprint is small (although not non-existent because I am a big fan of air conditioning. After all, I do live in Texas.)

Telecommuting works for me (and for my dogs, who hang out with me in my office). I can’t understand why more US companies haven’t embraced the idea of telecommuting and encouraged their employees to work from home full-time or at least part-time.

Yet telecommuting is still considered a perk for only a handful of employees instead of a way of life. That attitude is a good thing for office building owners because it keeps their properties well occupied. But moving forward, I think it’s something that building owners need to think about it, even if they own assets in urban markets where people can walk to work.

I contend that if US companies were really concerned about their carbon footprint, more of them would tell their employees to set up a home office. If they really wanted to reduce oil consumption, they’d do more than just encourage their employees to buy hybrids or to take public transportation. Moreover, telecommuting offers most companies the opportunity to reduce their space needs, thereby reducing their real estate expenses.

So, why are so many companies still opposed to telecommuting? Many say their employees are less productive if they don’t work in an office. But where’s the data on that? Where is the hard-numbers research that proves that’s true? I have yet to see any studies that prove that theory.

I can assure you that my supervisors have never once wondered if I am watching soaps and reality TV or sneaking out for a mani-pedi instead of working. I rarely take sick days because I don’t have to worry about sneezing on my co-workers or sharing my germs with an entire building full of people.

Yet I still hear comments like this: “How will I know that my employees are actually working if they’re at home?” or “My people won’t be able to work as a team unless they’re together… in the same office.”

Really? Am I the only one who thinks those are comments are ridiculous?

What are your thoughts on telecommuting? How do you think it would impact the world of commercial real estate if more people worked from home?