CPSRenewal.ca Email Rant: 'Distributed Work'

Not sure if this will become a regular feature of the blog or not but sometimes you just need to share things. Rather then simply post a round-up or a full blown column here is an interesting email exchange that Mike and I had today (Note I inverted the order of the email string so you chronologically it reads it top to bottom):

-----Original Message-----
From:ncharney
To: mmangulabnan
Subject: Why not do this with gov offices?

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080812.wprsuite12/BNStory/Technology/home

FYI more info on 'distributed work'

http://www.thefutureofwork.net/assets/Understanding_Distributed_Work.pdf

-----Original Message-----
From: mmangulabnan
To: ncharney
Subject: RE: Why not do this with gov offices?

because that would be smart...

baha: "[The US] recognize the many benefits and advantages and strongly support it," Mr. Fortier says. "Here, we don't use the carrot and we don't use the stick. There's not even a donkey."

There's tons of commercial space (and vacant commercial space) 2 blocks from my house. I'm not even gonna add up how much I could save in doing away with my bus pass, not having to buy extra groceries for lunches, not to mention buying lunches. (That's over $800 a year for the bus pass alone, for those counting - anyone paying more than that for parking/gas?). There's even a small fitness benefit attached in that I would be much more inclined to walk or bike to and from work every day. I might even be more inclined to work later because it wouldn't take me 40 minutes to get home. Set up an IM and I don't need to be here 85-90% of the time.

It's funny how we can work almost seamlessly with people in the regions (remember, even Guelph, Montreal, and Toronto are considered 'regions') but it's somehow impossible to work as effectively with someone who's 20 minutes down the road. The mentality seems to be, if you can be in the office, you should be in the office.

If someone can telecommute from Nunavut, surely I can telecommute from Hunt Club...

It seems the only people who are able/allowed to telecommute in the same area are people who have retired and returned to the workforce. I know, and have worked with people who have retired and returned who live in the area and telecommute the majority of their time. The opposite mentality seems to exist for these employees: if you don't need to be in the office, then you don't have to be in the office.

oh to dream.

-----Original Message-----
From:ncharney
To: mmangulabnan
Subject: Why not do this with gov offices?

can i post your mini rant /this email exchange on the blog with links to the article and the background paper I am reading now, after I finish reading it? if you want to make any edits do so in red below, but i think it is gold as is.

-----Original Message-----
From: mmangulabnan
To: ncharney
Subject: RE: Why not do this with gov offices?

[done] - I'm tempted to add something additional about the clothes I have to buy in order to 'look presentable' for my no-clients, but I won't


-----End-----

I don't think Mike wanted me to include that last one but, oh well. Happy Tuesday everyone.