Differences Between Telecommuting and Telework GA S REGULAR Menu Lifewire Tech for Humans Newsletter! Search Close GO Smart & Connected Life > Working From Home

Differences Between Telecommuting and Telework

And what is a remote worker?

By Melanie Uy Melanie Uy Writer Queens College Harvard University Extension School Former Lifewire writer Melanie Uy has 5+ years' experience writing about consumer-oriented technology and is an expert telecommuter. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on March 10, 2021 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Working From Home The Ultimate Guide to Shopping Online The Ultimate Guide to Online Learning at Home The Ultimate Guide to Skype Both "telecommuting" and "telework" are terms that refer to a working arrangement where employees or contractors regularly perform their work outside the traditional on-site work environment. Although the two terms are often used interchangeably, originally the two terms refer to different situations.

History of the Terms

Jack Nilles, co-founder, and president of JALA and identified as "the father of telecommuting," coined the phrases "telecommuting" and "telework" in 1973 — before the explosion of personal computers — as an alternative to transportation to and from the workplace. He modified the definitions after the proliferation of personal computers as follows: Teleworking: Any form of substitution of information technologies (such as telecommunications and/or computers) for normal work-related travel; moving the work to the workers instead of moving the workers to work. Telecommuting: Periodic work out of the principal office, one or more days per week, either at home, a client's site, or in a telework center; the partial or total substitution of information technologies for the commute to work. The emphasis here is on reduction or elimination of the daily commute to and from the workplace. Telecommuting is a form of teleworking. In reality, the two terms mean the same thing in today's workplace and can be used interchangeably: They are both terms for the practice of working from home or off-site, making use of the internet, email, chat, and phone to perform duties that once were carried out only in an office environment. The term "remote workers" has come to mean the same thing.

Modern Take on Telecommuting

Telecommuting has been steadily increasing in popularity as the workforce becomes more mobile and technology delivers increasingly more mobile technologies that allow workers to stay connected with the office no matter where they are. As of 2017, almost 3 percent of the people in the U.S. telecommute at least half the time and consider their homes their main place of business. An astonishing 43 percent of employees surveyed said they spend at least some time working remotely. It is not uncommon for an employee to work remotely two or three days a week from home and then return to the office for the remainder of the week. Slightly more than half of all the jobs in the U.S. are considered telework-compatible. Although some companies say telecommuting reduces absenteeism and increases productivity, other companies struggle with the arrangement, primarily because of the difficulty of team-building with remote workers. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How To Negotiate a Remote Work Arrangement What Is Telecommuting? The Best Work-From-Home Jobs The Top 6 Benefits to Telecommuting What to Include in a Remote Work Proposal Internet 101: Beginners Quick Reference Guide What Does Telework Mean? The 10 Best Working From Home Tips in 2022 What Is a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit)? The Computer Equipment You Need to Work From Home Creating a Functional Office Layout for Two People The Difference Between VoIP and IP Telephony The 5 Best Remote Access Apps for iPad of 2022 Types of Network Connections What Does the Term 'Telephony' Mean? Should You Buy a Consumer or Business Class PC? Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies