staffers, supervisors learn how to succeed.
by rick telberg
public practice cpas appear to be leading the way for corporate america in developing the concepts and methods for working from the friendly confines of their homes.
cpa financial managers in business and industry are also adopting new work-at-home flex schedules for valued professionals. and yet, many still have reservations and are seeking guidance on how to do it effectively, while also convincing upper management it truly is the wave of the future.
ava idom, owner of a small business in dallas, recalls that when she allowed several employees to work from home on a full-time basis, “all of them failed to produce and all of them were subsequently fired.” instead of taking care of business, her at-home crew opted to watch television, play video games and do their housework.the lesson learned, she says, is “the person who works from home must become committed to treating the home environment as the work environment and that’s extremely difficult to do.”
for many, staff and management alike, it’s a question of finding the proper balance.
candy wong, an executive with a 500-plus employee company in hong kong, says the problem for at-home workers like herself, is separating the office work from personal matters.
for others, work at home proves effective for some tasks, but the life of the office remains indispensable.
ed cordell, a senior executive with a 100-plus employee business in norcross, ga., says that working at home is great for writing, reading and planning, but adds, “it can never replace the interaction with peers in the office.”
and there’s a risk that at-home workers can interfere with the schedules of those toiling away in the office, he says, adding that arrangements should be made for the at-home workers to appear in person at the office whenever needed.
in fact, a whopping 93 percent of public practitioners, according to bay street group research, do at least some of their work from home, including 27 percent who worked all of their time at home.
and most report they are thoroughly enjoying it, especially those who are self-employed.
among the at-home happy campers, colleen rael, in san juan capistrano, calif., told us, “becoming self-employed is the best thing i ever did regarding my career. i am the happiest, most fulfilled i have ever been.”
for cpas with employees, technology guru david cieslak of the information technology group, says that at-home work is a “key perk to offer top staff members.” and david silver of annapolis, md., added that it helps them fight rising gasoline prices.
but a chief financial officer with a nonprofit organization, who allows several staffers to work at home, notes that it’s often tough to keep those remote workers motivated. “peer pressure does seem to encourage certain individuals to perform at a higher level,” he says.
a senior executive with a software reseller adds that some employees tend to be distracted when working at home, further noting, “although the technology is available, it’s difficult to collaborate with and monitor those employees.”
cpas are not alone in the work at home craze. nearly 4.2 million people in the u.s. worked-at-home in 2000, up from 3.4 million in 1990, according to the u.s. census bureau. and by all accounts, the internet is helping the number to grow at an exponential rate in this decade.
the fact is: in a new economic world ruled by the value of talent, employers may find it impossible to push against the tide of flexible, decentralized work arrangements.
9 responses to “tips for managing work-at-home staffers”
flo solonche, cpa, citp
i worked from a small home office for seven years, and obtained my graduate degree during the same time period.
i was successful because i was disciplined and had a totally separate work space set aside with separate phone, fax, computers, and printers. i also kept regular office hours and if my door was closed when my children came home from school, they respected my privacy. there were very clear rules.
i kept regular hours with colleagues and met at their office several times a month. i also was a member a user group of other home workers in the area to share resources and to mitigate the isolation that comes from working from a home office.
at the present time, i am an it manager for a public accounting firm, and am back in the office full-time. i continue to remote in from home in the evening and weekends to update servers and address after-hours user needs. technology and telecommuting has offered me the best of both worlds.
flo solonche, cpa, citp
ellin & tucker, chartered
baltimore, md.
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accounting director
i am accounting director for a division of a multinational company. of my 7 staff, 1 is f/t remote (1,500 miles from office), 4 work from home 6 days/month on a set schedule, and 2 don’t work from home at all (their choice). my staff know what is expected of them, and as long as they deliver their deliverables timely and completely, i don’t monitor how they are spending their time either in or out of the office.
the only rule is that during the 4 day monthly closing window, every local employee is expected to be at the office. the model works well for us, it saves the employees time and money that would be spent commuting, and is a real differentiator that costs us nothing but goes a long way towards employee satisfaction.
— accounting director for a division of a multinational company
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k. landry
make your staff feel like family. compensate those who make an effort to get along and not demean other employees. management should let every
employee know that it matters that they get along with their coworkers.
k. landry
cpa
new orleans
.
anonymous
i get to work from home once a week, usually on fridays and it has worked out really well for me so far. my strategy is to get most of my work that needs meeting one on one with people done during mon – thursday. needless to say, i spend a good amount of my time in meetings on those days, but it leaves me with the ability to do my reading, planning and checking on fridays. i am also flexible about fridays – if necessary, i do go in.
having said that, i am getting staffed up to head two groups – an analytics group and an operations group and i am waiting to see if this set up will continue to work, especially given the operations responsibility. i think sarbanes oxley requirements of management review and sign off on key operational processes has also opened new challenges for managers, as many interpret it very conservatively. anyhow, i don’t think a full time work from home set up is very effective as i believe the human one on one interaction is very very important from many different perspectives.
senior financial analyst
silver spring, maryland
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jacquelyn m. briskey
two years ago, i relocated my office closer to home in a smaller community outside the “big city”. it was further for my staff to drive, and with the rising price of gas, i opted for a technology solution. now, my staff person works from home (about 60 miles from the office) by accessing the server through the internet. we meet once a week during tax season, and talk on the phone or use email to answer questions. it has been a tremendous time saver for both of us, and has reduced the amount of gas and wear and tear on the vehicles.
communication is critical in this situation. i need to know what hours and days she will be working. sometimes it is more difficult to know that the work is being done, but i think overall it is much more efficient for both of us since we don’t have the interruptions and distractions that we had when we were in the same office.
jacquelyn m. briskey, cpa
eagle river, ak
diane g. p. van tuyl, cpa
i wanted to tell you of my experience from working at home.
i have been working from home for mitre corp in northern va since 1998, when i returned from maternity leave from my first daughter’s birth. i work 20 hours a week and do almost all of my hours from home. previously i had worked 40 hours a week full time in the office for 8 years, so had a proven track record. i go into the office one day every other week. my 2 children are home with me during the day. telecommuting is a wonderful way for me to balance family and career.
in order for this to work i believe there are certain things that need to happen. first of all, the employee must be committed to working a certain number of hours on a regular schedule. the employee must set aside a specific work area that he knows he goes to to do his work. i do have a laptop with wireless connection to the isp so i can move around the house which is a help. the employee must always be reachable via phone and/or email most of the day. the employee must produce work on a regular basis and meet their deadlines so the employer knows that work is getting done.
my company has a telecommuting agreement that formal telecommuters sign. the telecommuting agreement is reviewed once a year by the supervisor and employee.
i do not believe that with young children at home i can work 40 hours a week. however for someone with no distractions from home they should be able to work a full day’s work.
working from home you do lose some of the interaction of people in the office and i don’t always hear what’s going on right away.
diane g. p. van tuyl, cpa
financial analyst
missouri cpa
i enjoy your articles and am especially interested in your topics regarding ?work at home.?
i am a 32 year old female cpa and partner in a small firm of fifteen employees. i am also the only person in my office who regularly works at home one to two days per week. i have a thirty minute commute and two children, ages two and four. working at home at least one day a week allows me to save my driving time and have an extended breakfast with my kids. instead of taking a lunch break, i do a few loads of laundry or take the dog for a walk. i have found that my work days at home are very productive due to less interference from office interruptions.
i think the important thing to note about my arrangement with my managing partner is that i am responsible for getting my work done regardless of where i am. therefore, i am continually motivated by my clients to provide them with outstanding service.
i also work a reduced schedule of about 25 hours a week during the months of may through december (non-tax season). i think this flexibility with my schedule allows me to endure a rough tax season. i don?t get to see much of my family for three months but i can make up for it the rest of the year. i am also flexible about which days i work at home so that i don?t cause problems with staff and client meetings.
in my mind, the key to working at home is making sure you are self-motivated and do not need some one to ?micro-manage? your work. i also think as an employee you must spend some time in the office to keep in touch with what?s going on.
thanks for the great articles. keep it up!
“female, cpa, partner in a firm of 15”
columbia, missouri
joe p mcnair jr cpa
i myself have a tax practice that i operate out of my home. my wife assists me in the practice. i have no problems being efficient because for every project i complete i get to keep 100% of dollars received. i feel for myself that it is perfect because i have no commuting time and i can work late without guilt because i am home and available.
for myself and others i don’t have the distraction of children in the home. my two boys are away at college.
i think that the cpa profession would be perfect for work out of the home if employees are provided the needed technology and their time is billed by the hour. you have the perfect means through time and billing of measuring efficiency.
joe p mcnair jr cpa
full time self employed tax practice
overland park ks
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tracy macdonald
i work at home most of tax season. i keep normal business hours in the office and work at home at night and on the weekends. as a staff accountant, there is less distractions at home and it is very easy to take a tax file home to work on. i have no problem staying focused on my work and not getting distracted by household chores, etc. i can dial directly in to the office computer and work just as if i’m sitting at my desk. tax season wouldn’t be bearable any other way!
tracy macdonald
senior accountant
clearwater, fl