Guest Author - Meredith Eisenberg

Put the clock away. Do you want to catch your child’s play in the afternoon? Want to go outside and play on a bright and sunny Tuesday morning, more and more businesses are saying, go out and play… just get your work done.

In the past week or so, Best Buy has gotten a lot of attention for it's results based evaluation policy. Under this plan employees can work whenever and pretty much wherever they wish as long as the work gets done. This is being hailed as a big advancement in work/life flexibility. Best Buy is even going to try to roll the program out in its stores. Best Buy is not the only company to have introduced virtual work. Over 40% of IBM’s employees work vitually. Most people in this situation have worked for a firm for a while and then transitioned to working out of the office

In New Mexico, where I live, I know quite a few people who work from home full or part time for out of state companies. Most people in this situation have worked for a firm for a while and then transitioned to working out of the office. It is a win win for the company and the worker. The worker gets to keep their salary from a higher paying job market and the company gets to keep the skills of the worker.

I moved but I am still working part time in the same job I had in Virginia. I think I actually accomplish more working part time out of my home that I did when I was in the office full time. I really enjoy having some extra time to spend with my young daughter.

Is work transitioning back to where it was before the Industrial Revolution when most people worked essentially for themselves using their own equipment. In fact, there are all cadres of virtual professionals who work for clients throughout the country over the Internet as independent contractors. I think offering flexibility is a good thing -- many jobs can be accomplished during non-traditional business hours. However, a regular salary does give a certain amount of security about how much money is coming in. I'm not sure that going to a pay by the page method is really in the best interest of workers.

If you can find an arrangement where you are being treated fairly then working virtually does add flexibility to your life.