What is the difference between telecommuting, work-at-will, remote working and flexible work?

What is the difference between telecommuting, work-at-will, remote working and flexible work? If you are just getting your feet wet with virtual working, remote working, or flexible working, it can be a little daunting. Hopefully I can clear some of it up for you.

Telecommuting

Let’s start with telecommuting. Telecommuting is a work arrangement where the employee has the option to work outside of the main (or satellite) office. Often, the work is done from home, but can also be done in various locations. The hallmark for telecommuting is the ability for the employer to be in constant contact via the internet (chats like Slack) or via the phone (hence the name telecommuting).

Oftentimes, workers with telecommuting positions are those who are in some sort of sales or support role. Rather than travel to the office to complete their work duties, telecommuting employees have a home computer or laptop that they sign into in order to communicate with peers and customers.

The worker will sometimes have to come into the office in order to attend a meeting or touch base with a group, but these are not frequent. In fact, there may be no need to come into the office at all unless the employee chooses to do so. This most commonly reflects a remote working situation, but we will cover that later.

A telecommuting worker has control of the following: time and location. The employee has the ability to work flexible hours (maybe) which allows for them to plan and balance personal obligations around their work schedule.

Allowing workers to telecommute often makes them more productive, which benefits the company. Telecommuters are also likely to be happier in their jobs and are therefore more likely to stay with the company. Telecommuting even saves companies money in office expenses.

Work-at-Will:

Unfortunately, this is a legal term, not so much a variation of work. But, just so that you know:

An at-will employee can be released by an employer or voluntarily leave a position at any time, for any reason. The employer has some legal restrictions, but the employee can leave at any time.

Obviously, I am not a lawyer and don’t even try to play one on the internet, but if you are curious about your rights or want to know more about an “at will” employment situation, just do a Google search.

Remote Job:

A remote job is one that is done completely separate from the office. Like I said earlier, this is most similar to the telecommute situation. The biggest difference is that remote work is believed to be able to be done anywhere. If you live in Bangkok, Thailand and a job in Seattle, Washington, a remote employee has the ability to work in that position (as long as the company is offering the position to anyone outside of the US or the state of Washington.

Flexible Job:

Flexible working refers to a situation where an employee is tethered to their company. By tethered I mean that the employee has the flexibility to work a varied schedule (both in the office and out of the office), but there is an expectation that the employee will prioritize their work schedule over their personal life. Imagine a yo-yo. You can go far away from the hand, but if the hand pulls, you are required to come back immediately.

Flexible employees are usually those who are brought on to work on specific tasks or projects and who can concentrated hours. In my experience as a flexible worker, I have found that I have autonomy to control my time and location, but I need to reserve some time in my day or week in order to meet with my employer or teams in person.

Originally published at www.hackingnormal.com on August 1, 2017.