Home workers are sick
By Davey Winder in Editorial
Posted in Blog on
I have been enjoying, although that is not always the right word, living the home working lifestyle for nearly 20 years now. I became a telecommuter out of necessity rather than choice, 20 years ago I was stuck in a wheelchair too big to get through the front door of my flat at the time courtesy of viral encephalitis and so kind of fell into a writing career where my clients could be met within the realm of cyberspace (using that word kind of dates things nicely, doesn’t it?) Now, according to secure authentication experts Signify at least, illness is creating more teleworkers than ever.
The not-so-lovely Noro virus that causes a nasty case of the Aztec Twostep also seems to cause a spike in remote logins to corporate networks. Signify reckon in just three days this week the figure has jumped by 18 percent. Not too surprising I guess, considering that 100,000 people a week are going down with the damn thing and doctors recommend remaining at home to prevent spreading it to workmates. In fact, the advice is to stay away from work for 48 hours after the symptoms have disappeared.
Instead of taking a couple of extra days as a house arrest vacation, workers are doing the right thing (perhaps ‘encouraged’ by the powers that be) and working from home during the unexpected period of quarantine.
John Stewart from Signify says that “we have seen a surge in user login activity during the first few days of this week, compared to equivalent periods in previous years.” Of course the Noro virus is only the latest in a number of events that keep people away from work. Floods, snow, strikes, bomb scares even foot and mouth disease all have an effect. While it is good news that companies are taking the necessary measures to ensure people can keep on working remotely, and it would seem with much success, one has to wonder what is stopping them from taking the final step into having a full-time home-working staff? Sure there is a cost involved, but there are also savings to be made, not least of all in terms of damage to the environment and carbon footprints.
I certainly have no regrets in being a home worker, apart from when sickness strikes and I find myself continuing to work from bed that is…
Rated: 90% (2 votes)
Loading ...Comment by David Bradbury - January 11, 2008 on 1:10 pm
Im the IT Manager for a large firm of solicitors in Suffolk. We’ve be using remote access for some staff for many years but the Board for some reason wont allow full time home working for staff (and partners) in general .If you are signed off sick, the personnel department say you shouldnt be working at home in case of any problems that the firm could be held liable for - you know what lawyers are like.
Comment by William Langford - January 11, 2008 on 4:09 pm
Lawyers, accountants and government bureaucrats will put a damper on home working because they can’t control what you might be doing if they can’t physically watch over your shoulder every minute of every day.
Comment by Nick Kotarski - January 28, 2008 on 8:39 pm
I wonder what would happen if there ever was a flu pandemic? I suppose that everyone would be told to stay home. Then what?
Nick
Comment by traffictrial - February 18, 2008 on 10:16 am
huhuhu …
why you think like that ??
Comment by nyari duit di internet - February 18, 2008 on 10:19 am
i agree with your opinion ..
great
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