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CTA members tell their stories:
Part 2
Exec mom finds
telework a great balancing tool: I am the National Sales Director
for an internet consulting services firm. Our offices are in Toronto and
Calgary, and I live just north of Ottawa. I work one week in Toronto and the
alternate week at home and I love it! I spend the week in Toronto meeting
with clients and team members, and the week at home doing all the follow-up
paperwork, phone calls, etc. Believe it or not, this arrangement allows me
to spend a lot more time with my kids than when I was schlepping into Ottawa
5 days a week. Now I can volunteer at their school every second week, go on
field trips and just get more involved because I can 'make up' the time in
the evenings. One word of caution, you can only do this with the enormous
support of your spouse (which I'm lucky enough to have). Amanda
Dexter from Wakefield, Quebec
Moving to Northern Ontario
and hoping
to telework I am recently engaged and will be moving to
Northern Ontario. I approached my bosses to inquire about teleworking since
a large portion of my current position is computer and phone based. They are
supportive but want more information. So as part of my research for
supporting data, I am looking for others in my situation with watchouts and
success stories. Orford Patti, Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals
Telework helps
mother switch gears & watch children grow I started
teleworking in an effort to spend more time with my two young children (Rita
-4, and Victor 1). I enjoyed a hugely successful career in an international
management consulting firm but found the 60 hour weeks a little strenuous. I
was slowly feeling like I was losing control over my life and that of my
children - it was time to make a change. Due to the nature of e-commerce and
the dynamic of consulting, the two mix nicely and many of the consultants
from our firm moved into e-industry, dot.coms, start-ups and the like.
Luckily for me, we had a fantastic rapport and I had a skill they needed now
that they had little or no support staff. I have continued to work with the
people I enjoyed so much, and they receive a vital service which is cheaper
than hiring a full time staff member - no benefits, equipment, over-time,
etc, etc. I am always available, have two incoming fax lines, two separate
ISPs and two emails - hopefully having conquered technology for now! I love
my life now - I do the work I love and watch in amazement as I finally have
the time to watch my children grow and experience life. Too often we forget
the wonder in our world and become enslaved to our employers. Now I call the
shots...and we are ALL loving it!! Jennifer Garbin,
Toronto
Telework part of master's degree
project: I am currently finishing
my master's degree in urban planning at the University of Calgary. As part
of my master's degree project (thesis) I am proposing the (re)development
and integration of a "synergy centre" within a dilapidated inner
city school as a means of improving the quality of life for area residents.
The synergy centre concept is in response to current trends in
telecommuting, City of Calgary planning documents and policies, and need for
urban planners to realize their pivotal role in the telecommunications-era.
Most importantly urban planners and the planning profession need to provide
and accommodate (multi-use) facilities that enable individuals to work,
live, and play within their community. James Q.
Mazak, University of Calgary
Killer drive sparks
telework desire: I am not
Teleworking, yet... but am researching it very seriously. I live over an
hour away from my current position, and the drive is killing me. Jane
Angelo, Mississauga, Ontario
Cape Bretoner sees
major benefits of telework. "...I believe telework offers
the opportunity for skilled persons located in rural Canada to generate a
national level wage for work. Due to the economic climate on Cape Breton it
is unlikely that businesses would be able to pay for my services. This
combines with a slowly evolving understanding of the use for technology in
business to create a situation stat requires me to be a gun for hire outside
of my geographical region. Telework allows persons to shop their abilities
to the wider marketplace. Increasing their ability to get the type of work
that suites their skills, appeals to range of interest and be fairly
compensated for thier efforts. It is likely given the current situation in
Canada (The general lack of skills for embracing the "New
Economy") that telework will continue to pay a significant role in
bridging the gap between the needs of private enterprise and those with
skills to create the solutions. Hats off to your organization! I'm proud to
have become a member."
Telework a positive
experience for BC government worker Since November, 1999 I
have worked from home 4 days a week, and once a week I go to the office. I
provided a secure self office in my home. The employer provided the
furniture and equipment. I have a separate telephone line installed. I am
able to work comfortably from home with no distractions. My productivity has
increased and the cost to the employer has been minimal compared to the
results and benefits we both received. At this time I am the only one on the
pilot project and my hope is that it will be extended to allow others the
opportunity. The final evaluation should be completed in the next month or
two. It has been a very positive experience for me both work and personal
life has improved. Irene Landman, Victoria BC
Hearing impaired
person seeks telework: I am hearing-impaired and originate from
South Africa and now reside in Canada. My last two jobs in Canada have been
unsuitable for me and I am now very keen on working from home. Despite my
hearing loss, I do speak very well (with SAfrican accent). I note that a lot
of telework jobs out there are extremely high-tech or the companies post
jobs directly for highly skilled persons. I don't have all the high-tech
skills but nonetheless I am seeking telework employment in the area where I
can do typing, wordprocessing, administrative duties.I plan to work on a
part time basis in order to balance my family and work life. I found your
site really good and extremely informative, one of a kind - especially
because it is Canadian based. KN Beer,
Richmond BC
Telework can save
the day during relocations "When
my husband was sent to Washington on a military posting from Ontario, I
tagged along and managed to obtain work at a large American travel agency
working on cruise.com. When he was unexpected returned to Ottawa, my company
asked if I would continue working for them. (Our office already allowed us
to telecommute once a week). So now I do the same job long distance and it
has worked out quite well." Grant from Orleans,
Ontario, Canada
Manager oversees
team of remote workers I have recently taken a position
that involves managing recruiters for Royal Bank, who work remotely across
Canada. I am interested in your organization with respect to information on
management of remote employees as well as issues and challenges. Karen
McQuade, Recruitment Manager, Royal Bank Financial Group
Executive Business
Assistant from Nepean, Ontario provides service: I am actually an
off-site professional and administrative business support services company
designed to assist businesses and individuals with office overloads, time
critical projects and peak periods. I provide dependable, economical
business solutions with first time quality. Dale
Sara Forrest
Federal employee
sees the good and the bad I've been teleworking for the last 10
years - usually 1 day a week. I have multiple sclerosis so the home office
thing is a great way to conserve energy!! My feelings towards teleworking
varies - when I'm productive, I love it - when I'm too distracted at home,
then I wish I had stayed at the office. I find teleworking great when a
deadline is looming & I'm in my go-away, don't-bother-me state of
mind!!! It also provides a nice balance between having "social"
workdays (i.e., going to the office & interacting with others verbally)
and having a serene workday at home. I think its merits for helping those
who have a physical disability has probably not yet been maximized so I'd be
interested in doing some work on this front. Now that more colleagues are
teleworking, it's also becoming fun to communicate on-line with them while
we are in our respective residences. Thank god for policy jobs that are so
conducive to teleworking!!! I would definitely not accept a job that didn''t
allow for it. Lynn Nessrallah, Public
Service Commission of Canada
University student
focuses on telework I am currently completing my first year of my
Masters Degree in Planning at the University of Calgary's Faculty of
Environmental Design. I am hoping to do my Master's Degree Project on the
information revolution and how it has/will impact urban form and how cities
are developed. Telework is a major component of this, so I am interested in
becoming involved in CTA. John Lewis, University of
Calgary
Long distance
teleworking executive saves time: "My residence is in
Kingston, Ontario but the only place I could find reasonable work was in
Ottawa. After three years of commuting and being away from home, the office
decided that I could provide the same services from Kingston through
telecommuting." Terry Barker,
Director, Development and Quality Control, C-TEAM
Systems Inc.
Veteran
teleworker still loves it "I've been Teleworking for five
years now. Started as part of our company's teleworking trial working from
home 3 days a week. After the trial was over, I changed to four days per
week, going to the "big" office on Mondays. I'm currently
supporting a system housed in Saint John's NFLD ... so it doesn't really
matter where in Nova Scotia I'm physically located now does it! Campbell John,
Xwavesolutions
Calgary programmer finds
telework handy, but with downsides: "There
were two downsides that I noticed. As I was a full time employee, much of
the things that I needed (specs, documentation, manuals) were at the work
site (although, some stuff was starting to be made available through the
corporate web pages). The other downside was human interaction. I find that
bouncing ideas of people can often get me out of mental rut. Working at
home, this doesn't happen often. Sure, I could phone someone (if I had a
second line) but it's not quite the same. If I had to do it full time, I
would try to get into a situation where I could spend at least part of the
time at the office." David
Andrews
Long-distance
teleworker from Stittsville, Ontario finds it wonderful. I am a
Marketing Manager for a large electronics company in Montreal. I am
responsible for the North American Marketplace in my position. I work out of
my house, when I am not meeting with military customers in downtown
Ottawa/Hull or traveling to the US as required. I have been doing this for
almost one year and find that the benefits of being at home for my family,
when I am here, are wonderful. I also have no problem with being alone, as I
find that the stress levels are reduced substantially from being in the
typical office situation. Wendy
Allterton
Tele-trainer from
Scarborough, Ont. does it over the phone "I train on both
legal/financial/corporate CD Rom and on-line products over the telephone.
The telephone training actually began with the launch of our new on-line
products in November of 1998, and actually happened by fluke. I simply
started to train our clients over the phone. It was easy, cost effective and
timely....We now have another telephone trainer who specializes in
teletraining the CD Rom material...It appears that as we move forward the
teletraining model is gaining momentum, and I believe more and more of
Carswell's training will involve this vehicle." J. Laura
Clementi, Scarborough, Ontario
Teleworking from
small town (1600) in the Yukon. "Telework is the best option
when the closest major centre (Whitehorse) is 5 hours away in the winter.
Also, -40 to -50 degrees C temps make telework very attractive." Sylvia
Riessner, Yukon
Oracle manager's
motivation to telework: "Oracle has a decent telework
policy. My main motivation for telecommuting is, of course, elimination or
travel time and costs. It is a bit of a pro-environment statement as well
(electrons moving down the wire do not produce any exhaust fumes ...)."
Jiri Dvorak, North Vancouver,
BC
Realization prompts Nortel
manager to telecommute: "I started
telecommuting when I realized that I was going into the office to spend the
day on the phone, that was over 3 years ago. Since that time I have reported
to a number of different managers, moved cities and gained a number of
additional responsibilities." Stephen
Redshaw, Kanata, Ontario.
Computer
consultant/teleworker says check out company before teleworking:
"My current telework situation was a very rocky one. I was contacted by
a recruiter for a Computer Consulting position, which is located in Dallas.
The recruiter asked if I was willing to relocate and when I said no, they
opted for me to work from home. I was suppose to start work on 10/11/99, but
things did not start coming together until 11/08/99. This company did not
have all their I's dotted or T's crossed, I was have many doubtful
reservations about the move that I made, but after I continuously stayed on
top of things, then I actually started supporting the Client. Although this
situation is neither humorous or encouraging, I chose to share it with you,
so that teleworkers make sure that all aspects of the position are in place
before they commit - a thorough investigation or extensive questioning is
good." Stephanie Clay, Euclid, Ohio
Hi tech worker likes
his telework. "It is a best way to manage your times,
exercise your skills. Companies benefit a whole flexibility in terms of
management, controls and taxes. This is a way to ignore the company's
politics and focus totally on the work and objective. Denis
Lam, Hamilton, Ontario
Sociology professor
teaches courses from home via the Internet. "In the spring I
teach 3 out of my 4 courses on-line, including a new course justly titled,
for a teleworker, the 'Sociology of Cyberspace". Over the past 3 years
I have had to make considerable adjustments to working at home and have
earned the pseudonym of 'virtual Mac' at my place of employment. Telework
has been our households way of combining the demands of two working adults
with raising three young children. So far it has worked!" M.A.
Nelson, Vancouver, BC.
Telework saves time
and reduces "Because space is at its minimum on our floor,
one of the solutions that management came up with is sharing of offices. So,
now , I am working from home two days a week. It saves me having to travel 2
hours a day and the atmosphere at home is a lot more relaxed." Carol
Gagnon, Industry Canada employee who lives in Aylmer Que.
Surfing
parent finds ideal telework situation. "I had worked for UBC for about 6 years, in Vancouver. My wife and I wanted to move to
Victoria on Vancouver Island, for two reasons: houses are much more
affordable, and it is close to our main recreational pursuit, surfing. I
started searching for jobs in Victoria and got an interview with an
organization that works quite closely with our organization. I told my
managers about the interview and at the same time suggested that I stay on
with them as a full-time consultant. My work is in setting up distance
education courses, so there is very little face to face meeting required.
They went one step further and offered to keep me on a full-time employee
telecommuting from home. I was surprised that they offered this and accepted
their offer. Now I work from my home office and go to UBC twice a month, for
4 days in-office time. I am very happy with this arrangement, as I get to be
home to watch my young daughter grow up and I get to be near the surf. I am
quite careful to make sure UBC is happy with the situation as well, and as
far as I can tell, they are more than satisfied. A win-win situation!"
Teleworker, University of British Columbia
Telework situation,
prompted by hospital stay, too good to stop: "I
have been working from my home as a Rehabilitation Consultant since 1993. I
originally started with a National Rehab. company but went out on my own in
1997. The experience has been wonderful. When I was first hired in 1993, I
was pregnant. I made a deal with my employer that I would only take the
equivalent of my sick days off when I had my C-section. (about 9 days). As
it turned out, I had complications requiring hospitalization so I set up my
telework station in my hospital room and continued to work from my hospital
room. I have also supervised other consultants in Alberta and across the
Maritimes who were all telework employees. I love technology and the fact
that I can juggle my home life much easier by working from my home
office." Heather Clarke,
Kingston, Nova Scotia
See dozens of other
telework stories in our telework
story archives
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