Working at Home with Computers: Work and Nonwork Issues

Abstract

The term telecommuting refers to the substitution of telecommunications technology for physical travel to a central work location; it usually implies that the person is working in the home. This paper reviews organizational arrangements which allow employees to work at home on a regular basis as a substitute for attendance at the normal workplace. Two extreme cases of the implementation of such an arrangement are described. In the first, where the employee has a skill in demand and a job that is characterized by complexity and autonomy, work at home reinforces the individual's autonomy and self‐control over the work. In the second case, where the employee's skill is not in demand and he or she has few other work options due to nonwork (i.e., family) constraints, the job is designed to reduce individual autonomy and may involve reduced compensation relative to comparable work performed on‐site. Based on interviews with employees working at home, we examine the effects of work at home on the relationship between the employee and employer, the connection between work and nonwork domains, and gender issues. We tentatively conclude that work at home will not become a widespread trend, but there is sufficient interest in its use as a flexible work option in special cases that it should be examined more closely.