Jobs that are currently done in the workplace but lend themselves to telecommuting

[maniacalpha1-1]

Was reading about oil running out and was thinking, whether it's 5, 50 or 500 years from now, eventually there will be a need to, on a national level, save gas.

So. What kind of jobs are currently done in a traditional workplace, but could easily lend themselves to telecommuting? What kinds of technological advances that are on the horizon might make this an easier thing to suggest?(such as better videoconferencing tools)

And granted, in some industries, the job can technically be done from home, but the customer expects to be able to visit your office and see you in person, even if all they want to do is chit chat. For example, a LOCAL insurance agency. If an agency wanted they could keep copies of all their customer's data on computer, allowing telecommuting, but customers like to come in and discuss their needs in person, drop off checks, or even simply chat. They expect to chat with the person that normally handles their account, too, so it's not like you can have a skeleton crew of people to be in the office just to handle this part of it.

Would it be enough for example, if a customer could go into the office and chat with you by video if it was that important?

 

[Mike Gayner]

My job could easily be done from home - accountancy. On the other hand, I would find it difficult to be motivated from home, and my productivity would likely tank.

 

[Chaotic42]

Cartography / Geographic Information Systems

I don't like working from home though. I need the structure of a workplace.

 

[SlowSpyder]

Where I work they push working from home pretty hard, mostly due to running out of office space in the headquarters. Most of our Helpdesk and remote support people work from home. The company pays a portion of their internet bill and phone bill (they make the workers have a land line) and forward calls to them. I would imagine the majority of call center type work (non-IT included) could be done from home.

 

[tcsenter]

Any job that lends itself well to telecommuting, lends itself equally well to tele-offshoring.

 

[Mike Gayner]

Any job that lends itself well to telecommuting, lends itself equally well to tele-offshoring.

No not really.

 

[CptObvious]

I work temporarily for a government agency and telecommute once a week. Looking around the office, I'd say there's very little that couldn't be done over an Internet connection. What's more, people still travel quite frequently for conferences or hearings when I think videoconferencing would work just as well.

I agree that it's harder for me to work at home, with my laptop, guitar, camera, TV and couch nearby 😛

 

[lxskllr]

There's damned few jobs that can't be done by a robot or an Indian. Just because they don't now, it doesn't mean they can't.

 

[Fritzo]

I'm now a content editor. I can in theory work from anywhere, but all the collaboration I need to do keeps me in the office.

 

[HybridSquirrel]

I think most people prefer to go into work, simply because they don't get distracted as much.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

90% of what the Government does could be done online without human oversight.

 

[tcsenter]

No not really.

yes, really.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

yes, really.

Unfortunately, you're correct. :thumbsdown: