Steve Eldridge, in this article in the Baltimore Examiner wonders if the reason some people are reluctant to push their employers for telecommuting privileges could be due the fear that their jobs could be sent offshore to a foreign country with abundant, cheap labor. The reasoning is that if the job could be done from home, why not outsource it to another country and reap the savings?
As long as I've been a telecommuter in past jobs, I suppose you could argue both sides. In my career as an Insurance adjuster that involved in-person field inspections of damaged homes and businesses, there was no way the job could have been shipped overseas unless the employer was willing to settle large claims without an inspection. Additionally, a number of telecommuting opportunities are only partial - the worker still has to show up in the office from time to time to keep everyone happy.
Still, the question's got me thinking. Especially for writers who submit their work on the web. Certainly, the work could be done anywhere, and if no physical presence is ever required it could be shipped offshore. But you still have other things to consider, such as the benefit a native English speaker has over someone who knows English as a second language when the materials are geared to an English-speaking audience.
The ability to do your job wherever and whenever you want is a great luxury to enjoy, but it may also put downward pressure on wages. Even if jobs are not shipped overseas, an employer would be able to hire a replacement in an area of the US where wages are lower than the current employee's wages (outsourcing or onshoring). I think, in many cases, people who telecommute see this as the trade off for their freedom from being sentenced to a cubicle. I think the best protection against offhsoring is a wealth of experience and a history of doing excellent work.
What do you think?
As long as I've been a telecommuter in past jobs, I suppose you could argue both sides. In my career as an Insurance adjuster that involved in-person field inspections of damaged homes and businesses, there was no way the job could have been shipped overseas unless the employer was willing to settle large claims without an inspection. Additionally, a number of telecommuting opportunities are only partial - the worker still has to show up in the office from time to time to keep everyone happy.
Still, the question's got me thinking. Especially for writers who submit their work on the web. Certainly, the work could be done anywhere, and if no physical presence is ever required it could be shipped offshore. But you still have other things to consider, such as the benefit a native English speaker has over someone who knows English as a second language when the materials are geared to an English-speaking audience.
The ability to do your job wherever and whenever you want is a great luxury to enjoy, but it may also put downward pressure on wages. Even if jobs are not shipped overseas, an employer would be able to hire a replacement in an area of the US where wages are lower than the current employee's wages (outsourcing or onshoring). I think, in many cases, people who telecommute see this as the trade off for their freedom from being sentenced to a cubicle. I think the best protection against offhsoring is a wealth of experience and a history of doing excellent work.
What do you think?
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