A business development director, Webber flew quarterly to Plano, Texas for corporate meetings, attended countless others, had frequent business dinners and worked some weekends recruiting physicians. “It was time to slow it down,” she said. “In a blink, my three sons — now 9, 11 and 13 — got so big so fast.”
Webber stayed out of the work force until three months ago when she returned on her and her family’s terms. She works part-time as a public information officer for Claremore Public Schools — from home.
“I told the superintendent I could work from my study, and that if I was really doing my job well, I’d be in the schools anyway,” Webber said. “Plus, I carry a Blackberry, so I’m always connected.”
Similarly, Oklahoma City small business owner Darcie Harris a month ago chose to close her commercial office space and move fulltime to her home office.
“I recognized I work more effectively from home, am more creative and get more accomplished,” said Harris, president of EWF International, a company that provides peer advisory forums for women business owners.
Telecommuting is gaining in popularity, according to a recent study commissioned by Menlo Park, Calif.-based Office Team staffing firm. In telephone interviews with 150 senior executives from the nation‘s 1,000 largest companies, an independent research firm in April found 69 percent of execs said their employees commonly work off-site and 85 percent believe telecommuting will increase over the next five years.
"The buzz is technology is making it easier to telecommute," said Valerie Forsythe, division director of Office Team in Oklahoma City. She’s seeing the trend across all industries, in companies of all sizes.
"It boils down to a company's willingness to invest in technology,” Forsythe said.
Miniature wireless devices, WiFi, WiMax and mobile technology continue to allow a company's staff to work outside of the office with greater ease, while Web-based real-time conferencing services reduce the need to travel for meetings.
Telecommuting allows Amanda Bolding of Oklahoma City to hold two jobs. In addition to working as an office manager for her family’s commercial construction business, Bolding does data entry part-time for Access Financial Resources.
“It’s nice to have the extra income and be able to work whenever I want to,” Bolding said.
Meanwhile, the firm’s president Troy Jones is all for it.
“It’s been really nice for us since we are cramped for space.”
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It is pretty clear that a very high percentage of office workers can do their job remotely. Home telecommuting is one option. Remote Office Centers are another option. ROCs lease individual offices, internet and phone systems to workers from different companies in shared centers located around the city and suburbs. Not everyone has adequate facilities in their home (reliable internet, phone and private work space). These workers can work remotely, but might need to work out of a remote office.
ROCs are fairly new, but can be found in many cities by searching the internet for "Remote Office Centers" in quotes.
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