# In your current job, could you telecommute if it were allowed? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 7, 2012, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-current-job-could-you-telecommute-if-it-were-allowed/627550 "2012-07-07T21:24:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2012, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-current-job-could-you-telecommute-if-it-were-allowed/627550/41 "2012-07-09T11:39:33Z")
I already work from home two days per week, Tuesdays and Fridays. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2012, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-current-job-could-you-telecommute-if-it-were-allowed/627550/42 "2012-07-09T13:55:35Z")
As a police officer I guess I could patrol the house. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2012, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-current-job-could-you-telecommute-if-it-were-allowed/627550/43 "2012-07-12T14:02:42Z")
Most of what I do, can easily be done from home with appropriate remote access and a telephone (in fact I do work from home several days a week). However, there’s something to be said for a couple days a week of “face time”, it can be a lot faster to hash stuff out when you’re all in the same room. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2012, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-current-job-could-you-telecommute-if-it-were-allowed/627550/44 "2012-07-12T14:16:46Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > As a police officer I guess I could patrol the house. Maybe you could do the paperwork parts of the job from your house, tho. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2012, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-current-job-could-you-telecommute-if-it-were-allowed/627550/45 "2012-07-12T16:28:37Z")
I put no since I can only do some aspects of my job from home. Much of my work on reports and such I can do from home. But I also have to meet people and attend government hearings. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-current-job-could-you-telecommute-if-it-were-allowed/627550/46 "2012-07-13T00:48:25Z")
I’m a nurse. The only thing I could do from home would be look up drug interactions in Micromedex. ---
**Author:** ![Sahirrnee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sahirrnee/32/13937_2.png) [@Sahirrnee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sahirrnee)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-current-job-could-you-telecommute-if-it-were-allowed/627550/47 "2012-07-13T01:08:18Z")
My dog walking and pet sitting business can’t be done from home. My customer service job is totally at home. I’ve not met a single person I work for or with. The company office is in another state and all of us who answer calls work from home. I love it. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-current-job-could-you-telecommute-if-it-were-allowed/627550/48 "2012-07-13T01:14:28Z")
Nope. I don’t have enough fridge and freezer space for all the blood and plasma, and I don’t know _where_ I’d put the centrifuges. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-current-job-could-you-telecommute-if-it-were-allowed/627550/49 "2012-07-13T01:21:03Z")
I could do portions of my job from home (and often do), but too much required my presence. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-current-job-could-you-telecommute-if-it-were-allowed/627550/50 "2012-07-13T01:38:48Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Maybe you could do the paperwork parts of the job from your house, tho. Still a no, though. Well, unless he lands that sweet house-patrolling gig. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-current-job-could-you-telecommute-if-it-were-allowed/627550/51 "2012-07-13T01:43:21Z")
Other. Some days/weeks I need to be there: other days/weeks I could work from home. I don’t officially have the option, but I’m on good enough terms with my boss that I could probably get away with working from home on occasion. I haven’t tested the waters yet. ---
**Author:** ![rivulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rivulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rivulus)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-current-job-could-you-telecommute-if-it-were-allowed/627550/52 "2012-07-13T02:31:12Z")
I answered “yes” but need to add a caveat. I am an instructional designer for corporate training and performance support solutions. I know that I could work remotely – and successfully do my job – because with a previous employer I did just that for 2 1/2 years! Unfortunately, my current employer has a firm culture _thing_ about face-to-face interactions. So, with a few exceptions (like IS helpdesk support) they like to have pretty much everyone come into the office. _sigh_ I loved working from home. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-current-job-could-you-telecommute-if-it-were-allowed/627550/53 "2012-07-13T02:52:38Z")
I could. I’m in IT, and there are probably 2 occasions a month in which my physical presence is _ **required** _, and that’s mainly because certain managers like to have their staff in the room for meetings. The reality of the situation is rather different, as I am expected to put in an appearance pretty much daily, but I can and do telecommute on occasion when I need to. ---
**Author:** ![UncaStuart](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uncastuart/32/404_2.png) [@UncaStuart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncaStuart)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-current-job-could-you-telecommute-if-it-were-allowed/627550/54 "2012-07-13T06:24:48Z")
Other. I could telecommute, as do others in my department, but I would rather keep home and work separate. I am only fifteen minutes away from the office, so no biggie as far as commute, which helps. ---
**Author:** ![MacdaddyC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b487fb/32.png) [@MacdaddyC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacdaddyC)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-current-job-could-you-telecommute-if-it-were-allowed/627550/55 "2012-07-13T16:05:56Z")
As I handle operations of a large building (manual labor involved), I can never telecommunute. I voted no. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-current-job-could-you-telecommute-if-it-were-allowed/627550/56 "2012-07-13T18:07:07Z")
> [@rivulus](#): > > I answered “yes” but need to add a caveat. I am an instructional designer for corporate training and performance support solutions. I know that I could work remotely – and successfully do my job – because with a previous employer I did just that for 2 1/2 years! Unfortunately, my current employer has a firm culture _thing_ about face-to-face interactions. So, with a few exceptions (like IS helpdesk support) they like to have pretty much everyone come into the office. > > _sigh_ I loved working from home. I suspect this is the case for a lot of people. I could technically do most of my actual work at home, but I would be jeopardizing my long-term prospects if I missed out on the daily face-to-face interactions that result in being seen as a part of the team and being in on the ground floor when new projects are starting up. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-current-job-could-you-telecommute-if-it-were-allowed/627550.md?page=2)