A couple of months ago, a friend of mine wrote a blog post on her experiences during a big Northern California storm several years ago. I also remember that storm, and, although we didn't work at the same company at that time, I also had previously figured out how to successfully work from home (although I really only did that on weekends and late nights). That day, I started out driving to work (from San Francisco to Mountain View). The storm was so awful and frightening, that I finally reached a point where I felt I was endangering my life by staying on the road. And I hadn't even reached the freeway! All I could picture was my dad sitting by my hospital bed, asking me why I thought it had been a good idea to drive in those conditions. In my imagination, I had no answer for him, so I realized how foolish I was being out on the roads that day. I turned around, and had a successful work day from home.
Not only did I find working from home worked just as well for me, I got in my usual full workday. I realized that any of my co-workers who might have made it into the office probably only worked a few hours, as their commutes were at least doubled, if not worse, and they were also worried about their experiences on the drive home.
I know many managers, and companies, are uncomfortable with their staff working from home. The common concern seems to be that, if workers can't be seen, they are probably goofing off. Personally, I think that people can goof off whether or not their boss can see them, so this may actually be a different problem.
But, even if your team works together in an office every day, there may still be times when your manager or company are really okay with people not coming into the office for the day, due to dangerous or unusual conditions. In fact, the manager probably can't or doesn't want to come in on those days, either! A few weeks ago, during the span of just a couple of days, I noticed three situations where workers were unable to drive into work. How many of those workers were able to just work from home? And how many companies just had to close, because no one was there, and not conduct business that day?
Here is a round-up of what happened on those days:
Transportation
http://www.infrastructurist.com/2009/09/08/the-daily-dig-cracked-eyebar-edition/
In the San Francisco Bay Area, a piece of the Bay Bridge broke and fell onto the roadway. The bridge had to be closed in both directions while the damage was first inspected, then repaired. This bridge is the busiest in the Bay Area, averaging 280,000 vehicles crossing it each day, including buses and carpools. What happened to all of those vehicles (and workers)? Were they able to fit onto the other bridges, or alternative mass transit? How many started out one way, but had to give up and try another? And how long did it take, assuming they eventually did make into the office?
Weather
(AP Photo/Ed Andrieski) 
(AP Photo/Ed Andrieski) The same week, Denver got several feet of snow in just a few hours. Dozens of roads were closed, and driving was certainly treacherous for those who ventured out onto the roads. Accidents in those conditions throughout the area also slowed commutes. Although snow storms in Colorado are certainly not uncommon, it's still not possible for most people to drive through several feet of snow. It's certainly dangerous to try to drive in those conditions. How many of your workers may decide they'd rather not risk driving on those days? And do you really want them to? Do you want to?
Health Emergencies
Another incident that week was different in that it was not transportation related. As the H1N1 flu pandemic works its way throughout the country, many schools and other public buildings decide to close when the risk becomes to great, rather than expose people to possible other contagious people. Your company may decide that is also the smart thing to do, if the flu is prevalent in your area. But, what do your workers with children do when suddenly the schools are closed for a week, or more? Bringing the children to work is definitely not an option, in this case! And, even if your workers have adequate sick leave to cover their absence, they very likely will need that leave later, when they or their family members are actually sick over the cold and flu season. What percentage of your workforce has children? How many people in your office would be affected by this? What would your office even look like, on a day when all the parents have to stay home with their children?
Even if the managers and company are unsure they are ready to handle a formal, regular, work from home program, it would be foolish to not come up with a plan to handle unexpected situations, such as these. While we all enjoy an unexpected day off (snow day!), most of us have too much work to do to close the business for even a couple of days.
To see my other blog posts on ways to work with a distributed workforce, click here (in reverse chronological order).
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