Home > Opinion > Commutants! > Archives > 2005 > November > 10 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USWill our bosses ever get a clue?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The AJC has news offices in five metro locations besides downtown. I’m working in the one in Cobb right now. It is five miles from my home, and it takes me 10 to 12 minutes to get here in rush hour.
By working here two days a week, instead of downtown, I can save 40 percent in fuel costs per week and cut commuting time by about the same amount.
Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Why can’t more of us do it?
Corporate America, I think, likes to talk about carpooling and telecommuting more than it actually wants to encourage them.
Too many bosses still operate under the “a* in chairs” culture — meaning when they emerge from their offices during the day they want to see the minions toiling away at their desks.
That’s hard to do when the staff is distributed in remote locations or working at home. And carpooling requires bosses to give their employees flexible schedules so they can come and go in something close to the same time frame as their driving buddies.
What did I learn this week? That I’m glad I can work close to home at least a couple of days a week and that I have friends and co-workers who can drive with me. I hope my bosses learned the same thing.
Permalink | Comments (4) | Categories: Mike King
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By Becca
November 11, 2005 01:24 PM | Link to this
No. The “bosses” will NEVER get a clue. I have asked to tele-work EVERYWHERE I have been employed. Always no. I have carpool in the afternoons and my office is always on the other side of town from my home. Bosses talk the talk but won’t let you walk the walk. It’s stupid. One more reason to believe that we all work for MORONS.
By SM
November 11, 2005 01:46 PM | Link to this
Having been unemployed recently, I developed an understanding of the way that many supervisors think (courtesy of over a dozen interviews.) They know there are always 3 people to replace you if you don’t like working within their rules. They like knowing you are right there and working all the time. If the commute to that job isn’t worth it to you, it will be to someone else, and that’s how they make business decisions. People want all the perks that come with the big paycheck, but they’re not willing to sacrifice to get them. You want a shorter commute? Get a job closer to home and accept that it quite likely will be a cut in pay. You need the extra money? Then suck it up and do the dance.
By Hate to Drive
November 15, 2005 11:29 AM | Link to this
I have always wondered why employers can’t be given incentives for hiring employees who live closer to the work site. You can’t expect every one to live say within 5 or 10 miles from the jobsite but say give some sort of tax break to those who hire a greater % of workers who live nearby.
By Mark S.
November 15, 2005 01:46 PM | Link to this
Amen to this post. I have worked in corporate Atlanta for 10+ years as a consultant, thus seeing many different companies and their cultures. NONE of them truly support telecommuting. At best they tolerate it to a minimal degree, and everyone knows that it is a very limited option that, if pursued too much, will damage their career. This is a terrible shame, for in Atlanta this (telecommuting)- more than roads, rails, and all other options - will provide the most ‘bang-for-buck’ in reducing gridlock.