more on HP cuts back on telecommuting

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Vicki Brown <vlb () cfcl com>
Date: June 8, 2006 6:58:04 PM EDT
To: dave () farber net, ip () v2 listbox com
Subject: Re: [IP] more on HP cuts back on telecommuting

I note that it is always the managers, usually at the upper levels, who
decide that employees need to be physically present to do their jobs.  
For
some reason, they can't seem to figure out how to measure performance  
in any
more suitable ways, such as by actually work accomplished.

> the less-experienced employees who aren't performing well --  which  
> there
> are ``a lot of'' -

If these people have been telecommuting, something is wrong.  
Telecommuting
isn't for everyone. You still have to be able to perform your job to the
expected standards.

> a few employees abused the flexible work arrangements and could
> be heard washing dishes or admitted to driving a tractor during
> conference calls about project updates.

This is not a "telecommuting" issue. This is a management issue. It  
should be
treated the same as any other management issue, e.g. checking and  
responding
to email during a meeting, being late to meetings, taking a cell  
phone call
during a meeting or class, failing to complete a project on time, or  
hanging
out in the breakroom all day. (Or listening to the copier techs in  
the next
cube instead of concentrating on your own work. :)

> Some can do their jobs without talking to co-workers more than once  
> a day.

I've been in plenty of positions over the past two decades, all in  
the field
of "Information Technology",  where I could do my job without talking to
co-workers more than once a week! When we did talk, sometimes it was  
about
work. I agree that it can be useful to bounce ideas off of a willing
co-worker. But I can also do that over the phone, chat, or email as  
well.

Many of the workplace conversations that take place aren't about the  
job.
I've overheard co-workers talking about sports, World of Warcraft,  
lunch,
last night's party, your new blog, the book she's been reading, a  
band he
likes, whether the video iPod is "worth" the extra cost, and how soon  
the
bagels will get here.

Telecommuters aren't being "productive" for 8 hours a day? MOST workers
aren't being productive for 8 hours a day, whether they are forced to  
show a
physical presence at headquarters or not.

I've been stuck in cubicles next to break rooms and noisy conference  
rooms,
had to put up with abysmal lighting (because my co-workers turned off  
the
overhead lights), constant throat clearing or coughing, "leaking"  
headsets,
humming and finger tapping, noisy typing (I'm guilty of that one), leaf
blowers from outside, ringing cell phones (he left it on his desk; no
voicemail) and personal conversations. I've had co-workers who talked  
about
their medical problems (TMI!) or car repair problems as well as co- 
workers
who were in the process of buying a house, getting married, planning a
vacation or securing a green card.

That "clerk in the office became an expert in copier repair" because she
overheard the techs could also be also be chastised for spending her  
time
eavesdropping rather than doing her own work.


I fought hard at my previous job for the right to telecommute, first  
half
days and then full days. If I were in HP's IT division, I'd be  
polishing my
resume. I hope a large fraction of those 1000 employees are willing  
to stand
firm against this threat to their productivity and apply to work at a  
company
that values their contribution more than their physical presence. I  
expect
quite a few will be contacting lawyers to determine their rights for
unemployment benefits if the new CIO takes action against them for doing
their jobs (outside the "office").

> Flexible work arrangements began at HP in 1967 as a core part of the
> company's widely respected management philosophy. In the book ``The
> HP Way: How Bill Hewlett and I Built Our Company,'' HP co-founder
> David Packard wrote: ``To my mind, flextime is the essence of respect
> for and trust in people. It says that we both appreciate that our
> people have busy personal lives and that we trust them to devise,
> with their supervisor and work group, a schedule that is personally
> convenient yet fair to others.''

> Mott's changes underscore HP's determination to free itself from what
> new executives view as cumbersome costs and an outdated corporate
> culture.

Gosh. "Respect for and trust in people" has been relegated to the  
rubbish
heap of "outdated corporate culture". That's what is most frightening  
to me.
--
Vicki Brown  <vlb () cfcl com>         <>   http://philtres.com/vlb
Information & Content Management    <>   Intranet or Internet
Technical writing, editing, review  <>   Web development & tools
San Francisco Bay Area              <>   (650) 873-7842


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