More people are telecommuting than ever before. According to a 2015 Gallup poll, 37 percent of U.S. workers have telecommuted, four times greater than the 9 percent found in 1995. The arrangements vary, and for some it is full time and for others limited to a few days a week. Recently, a client of mine with a portable workload was asked, along with her entire department, to telecommute as a strategy for the company to lease a smaller space. While this would have many jumping for joy, it was unwelcome news for her as she enjoyed daily interactions with coworkers. It required a shift in expectations, attitude and proactivity to create new rituals and routines to replace those of a traditional workplace.
When people think about telecommuting, they tend to respond in two distinctly different ways. The first group goes into a reverie, expressing in glowing terms how great it would be. They envision themselves shedding a dreadful commute, wearing sweatpants to work, and having proximity to laundry in order to pop in a load from time to time. They’re eating healthy foods and working out, while accomplishing more they could in an office setting. They rarely picture the pitfalls, like isolation.
