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CTA members tell
their stories: part 6
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London,
Ontario worker given
the choice of teleworking rather then moving: "After a
merger with a company in Markham, a London office was closed due to budget.
I was given the choice of teleworking rather then moving. I've enjoyed the
experience (almost 2 years now). Better lifestyle, flexibility, but always
fight isolation and convincing head office of my increased worth to them by
teleworking" Brian Arnold,
Creative Director, Marketing, Wine Kitz/Wine-Art. London, Ontario
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Tele-manager
from London, Ontario writes: "I don't actually telework but
I manage a team of 9 teleworkers located across the province of Ontario. In
addition to that, I manage a "home office" team of 6 staff. There
are clearly challenges in this structure but for the most part, it seems to
be working. We have the luxury of having been able to establish ourselves
this way from the beginning." Susan
Warner, Ontario Joint Replacement
Registry
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Tele-manager
from London, Ontario writes: "I don't actually telework but
I manage a team of 9 teleworkers located across the province of Ontario. In
addition to that, I manage a "home office" team of 6 staff. There
are clearly challenges in this structure but for the most part, it seems to
be working. We have the luxury of having been able to establish ourselves
this way from the beginning." Susan
Warner, Ontario Joint Replacement
Registry
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Founding member of
the British Telework Association "I started working from
home (Teleworking) when I was made redundant about 8 years ago. My business
now employs all of my family. We work mainly in Construction services but
have a flegling electronic document business providing maintenance manuals
and brochers for other business." Stephen
Tippins, Glendamere Services, Herefordshire, UK
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Edmonton, Alberta
consultant enjoys freedom of telework. Depending on the project,
I work in the office, from home and from other remote locations. I have been
working in this manner for about 10 months. I enjoy the freedom of being
able to schedule my own time and the quiet atmosphere when working at home. Georgann
Hancock, Consultant, Charis Management Consulting
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Mississauga
teleworker wouldn't give it up for any gold in the world "I
started to look for ways to work at home, and keep away from office politics
and corporate wheels, to help me stay "in charge" of my life. I
wanted to decide who, when, where and how I should work. My health depended
on it. My inner spirit always wanted to be "her own boss". We'll,
I started to notice and took action. That was when I started with an people
friendly company and I will never feel the same again. Telework is my
life...I wouldn't give it up for any gold in the world." Anabela
D. Coelho, Independent Marketer, Mississauga, ON
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A few Canadian
telework stories on CBC's
website including one of CTA board member Craig Lee
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Telework
would be great for mother with a baby and a sick child. My daughter who has colitis was sick so often that I had
to stay at home to take care of her. I needed to pay the bills, then I found
out that a few fast food chains had a program that suited my needs and I was
able to work. But I just recently had another child and I've tried to get
back in and it's been difficult. So I'm researching other companies. With a
sick child and a new baby it would wonderful to get working again. Andrea
Henry, New York, Ontario
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North
Ontario distance
education worker loves teleworking: I work for a distance
education network in Northern Ontario.In 1999, I was approached by my
supervisors to take this position. However, office space was at a premium in
my community and when I suggested to my supervisors that I could work from
home they jumped on the idea. In no time three phone lines were installed in
my home. My husband, sister-in-law and I organized a room in our basement
for an office and it's been home for work for me since! I love it and wish I
could have done this earlier. I have had to set boundaries with family and
friends as far as office hours and working goes. But for the most part it is
a success. Since I started working in this position, the work I'm doing has
helped our organization see an increase in activity over the last 3 years. I
love my job and I love the fact that I can be home at lunch when my
teenagers and their friends show up from the high school just down the
street. The convenience of working from home far outweighs any isolation I
might feel. If I do feel the need to see other people, I can go to the
Access Centre in our community and meet some of the students that are taking
courses on our network. The majority of my working day is spent on the
telephone or on email dealing with educational partners and Access Centre
Coordinators. Our busiest times of the year are August/September and
January/February. Rose Kerr,
Network Liaison Officer, Contact
North, Marathon, Ontario
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Telework
lets Federal employee keep job despite 2000 km transfer. I have
recently undertaken a telework arrangement with my employer when my husband
was transferred from Ottawa to Winnipeg for a two year period. I will be
coming back to Ottawa in 24 months and am determined to stay with this
employer. The decision was made that I could continue to work for the
Ottawa-based headquarters from Winnipeg, using a workstation provided by a
regional sub-office 3 days a week and working from my home 2 days. So far it
is working out very well. The arrangement will be revisited after a
six-month trial period. Every Friday I send my Manager "workload
plans" outlining tasks accomplished, tasks planned but not accomplished
and tasks planned for the following week. Being in the high-tech field I
have all the equipment I need to continue to serve my clients, including
e-mail, teleconferencing, videoconferencing, etc. I really appreciate this
opportunity and am working very hard to prove that this arrangement will be
positive and productive from both mine and my employer's perspective. The
stress and adjustment imposed when moving to a new city, a new home, finding
a new school and daycare for my eight-year old, etc. has been reduced by the
ability to maintain something familiar, my rewarding and interesting line of
work. Jane Dumais,
Winnipeg, Manitoba
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"Telework
Tuesdays" a hit with US Defense worker: I joined the ranks
of teleworkers in November, 2001. I love it! I telework every Tuesday, which
I have since dubbed, "Telework Tuesday." It's easy for me to
travel the one-way 43-mile commute from Washington, D.C. to Quantico,
Virginia on Mondays because I know on Tuesdays, I will work from home! I am
less stressed and my quality of life has soared! Teleworking is good for
morale and more managers should consider this way of working to their
employees. Teleworking is not going away; teleworking is here to stay! Tanya
Ramey, US Department of Defense, Washington, DC
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Self-employed
mother from
Ajax, Ontario loves working from home: I decided to stay at home
with my at that time two children in 1997 (now there are three) after
working with a company for 20+ years. It was a really a very easy decision
at the time for me to stay at home. I have since then started my own
business and have been doing this since June 1997. My clients come from all
areas of the business field. Including but not limited to lawyers, Judges,
coordinators, and a landscape company. I enjoy working from my home as it
gives me the freedom to work at a much faster pace then in the office as
there are fewer distractions. My children understand that when Mommy is at
the computer in her office, they simply get some crayons, paper, scissors
and glue and they have their work time. Janis
Butcher
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Medical
condition makes telework highly attractive for Windsor woman: Anne
Faulkner, from Windsor Ontario writes: "Although I have had
sensitivity for many years resulting in loss of employment, I was recently
formally diagnosed with hyperacusis and am hoping to be able to work out of
my home." Good luck Anne. For those of you who do not know, people
afflicted with hyperacusis hear things at extremely loud volume. One site on
the Internet describes it as follows: " Imagine being at a movie where
the sound track is turned to the highest volume. Actors' voices are
screaming at you. After five minutes, you leave holding your ears and
cursing the theater for its poor judgment. Turning newspaper pages, running
water in the kitchen sink, your child placing dishes and silverware on the
table - all are intolerable to your ears. A baby cries or a truck screeches
its brakes to a halt and the sound is excruciating. What has happened to my
ears? The person who has hyperacusis can't simply get up and walk away from
noise. Instead, the volume on the whole world seems stuck on high.
Hyperacusis is a collapsed tolerance to normal environmental sounds. Ears
lose most of their dynamic range. ..... "
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Montreal
designer /
tech writer set to leave job in order to telework: I am not
currently a telecommuter, but am considering leaving my current position and
would prefer to rejoin the ranks of teleworkers. My previous experiences
with telecommuting have been positive - the main advantages including lower
costs (commuting, dry cleaning, work clothes, etc), no office politics, and
above all, no distractions so that more work gets done in less time. Alvo, Leslie, Montreal
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Toronto
Virtual Assistant is into her 6th year of telework:
I started telework about 6 years ago and
have done it both full and part time. I enjoy the control over my time that
it gives me and I accomplish a great deal more. I have teenager at home and
the only time I get my computers from them is when their at school. Works
for me! Judith Mathison,
Virtual Assistant, Trainer, Consulting, Administrative
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Ontario
Ministry of Health analyst supports telework: Nothing surprises
me more than watching Toronto pack even more high rise office towers in the
downtown core (how short sited). I'm signing up to the CTA for the sole
purpose of keeping my finger on the pulse of a rather important shift in the
way we North Americans work. By the way, I believe the only way business and
government will fully embrace telework is if we see a doubling in fuel
costs. There's nothing quite like a shot in the head to make you look at
things a little differently (ahhh that reactive business mentality) cheers, John
Stenson, Godfrey, Ontario
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Canadian Engineer
teleworks 4 months a year from Palm Beach: I am a mechanical
professional engineer and I am running a consultant business at home in the
Montréal region. Every year I spend 4 months in Florida (West Palm area). I
have a full set up electronic office in Florida including Bell cellular
(America) and I am serving my client without any problems. If my presence is
required I fly to Montreal. Claude
Leduc, Sainte Julie, Québec
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Toronto business
consultant sold on telework: My wife runs an Occupational Therapy
company servicing the insurance industry. She currently has 13 people
working with her, all of whom work from home when they are not visting
clients. Most other companies like my wife's company have a centralized
office with all the associated expenses. You would never know the difference
from a servicing level whether it is talking to our receptionist or dialing
straight through to our therapists. The beauty of this situation is that the
saved overhead goes into paying our therapists better and as a result we
have great employee retention. I am an business consultants and have been a
key architect in the design of this virtual office. I am a huge promoter of
virtual offices and have incorporated our learnings into my consulting
services. Rod MacDonald, Egads
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Oakville Ontario computer consultant
a fan. I have been a proponent of telework for many years but
have yet to experience it formally. As a computer
consultant for more than 20 years I have seen the insides of many corporate
cultures and have noted one feature in common. "If
the Boss or the Client's Boss can't see your face, you are not considered to
be working". It doesn't seem to matter if you
don't actually do any work as long as you turn up every day. I
am currently unable to travel by any means on a regular basis and, as such,
am extremely interested in the telework situation in Canada. Matt
Ryan, Oakville ON
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See dozens of other telework stories in our telework
story archives
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