I, Remote Worker

Kevin Ottens

  1. Introduction
  2. About KDAB
  3. My Life at KDAB
  4. Awesome or Horrible?
  5. Advices and Practices

Introduction

Remote Worker

Telecommuter

Teleworker

Who is it about?


aka stats

~20% part time


Worldwide

Almost 10% full time


Worldwide

40% Could Telecommute


US

11%


UK

3.5 Million of People


UK

12.4%

more than 8h/month


France 2012

Growing Trend!

What made it appear?

IT

Groupware

VPNs

VoIP

Videoconferencing

Email

WiFi

Smartphone

What about legalese?

EU regulation…

  • Employer must
    • inform the worker about the work and contract
    • provide ways for collegues to regularly meet
    • cover the direct costs of the work (e.g. communication)
    • provide needed service and equipment

  • Employee must
    • manage his work time
    • take care of the provided equipment

France Specifics

Legally Defined


Since 2012

Volontary


(on both sides)

Reversible

About KDAB

Development

Consulting

Mentoring

Training

Mostly Distributed

6 Offices


Started at 1

60% of the Engineers Telecommute


Started at 100%

My Life at KDAB

DISCLAIMER:

Not Easy to Show Oneself Naked…

Average Day?

Wake Up Early


~7am

Walk in the Office

Turn on the Computer

Walk in the Kitchen

Have Breakfast

Walk in the Office


Yes! I made 100 steps in grand total!

Process Email

Morning Chit-Chat on Jabber

Project Work

Lunch Break…

Whenever My Body

Asks for It

Work Out

Cook and Eat

Some More Work

Daily Company Wide Jabber Meeting

Done for the Day


Between 4pm and 5pm

Personal Stuff Happens

FOSS

Family Activities

Read or More FOSS

All Done


Between 11pm and 4am

Go To Sleep


1000 steps done at best

What If…

I’m Tired?


Or FOSS’d like mad until 4am

Wake Up Later

Stop Earlier

I’m Stimulated?

Work a Bit Longer

I Have Personal Errands?

Insert a Long Break…

… When Other People are Working

What Else?

Excuses to See People!

Aikido

Dance Class

etc.

Voluntary Work


Sometimes over the week-end

Conferences and Gatherings

Meet Customers Worldwide

Don’t Forget…

MY Life

YMMV

Awesome or Horrible?

Work Time Flexibility


Employee

Autonomy


Employee

Integration of Disabled People


Employer

Increased Employability?


Society

Less Commute Time


Employee

Reduced Traffic Congestion


Society

Reduced Traffic Accidents


Society

Reduced Pressure on Transport Infrastructure


Society

Reduced Carbon Footprint?


Society

More Energy Saving


Society

Less Interruptions


Employee

No Noise


Employee

Reduced Expenses


Employee

Reduced Fixed Costs


Employer

HR Flexibility


Employer

Activity Transfers / Moves


Employer

Improved Morale?


Employee

Responsibility


Employee

Reduced Absenteeism


Employer

Reduced Sickness Spread


Employer

Reduced Vulnerability to Terrorism


Society

Reduced Pressure on

Real Estate


Society

Widespread Half-Time Telecommuting in the US Would Save…

650 000 000 000 $/year

Reduced Social Life


Employee

Participate in Modernist God Complex


Society

Illusion of Ubiquity


Society

Work vs Life


Employer

Less Control


Employer

Temporary

Productivity Drop


Employer

Work vs Life


Employee

Being Accepted as a Worker


Employee

Sedentary Lifestyle


Employee

Timezones


Employee

Vulnerability to

Stress and Pressure


Employee

What About

Occupational Injury?


Society

Isolation


Employee

Less Cohesion


Employee

Less Likely Promoted


Employee

More Work to Maintain Relationships


Employer

Security


Employer

Advices and Practices

FOSS Experience = +

Don’t Frame Yourself in a Fixed Position

Get Out!

Maintain Yourself

Networking Events

Learn New Stuff

Agressively Use the

Extra Time

Pay attention to…

Overall Culture

Availability of Trainings

Team Meetings

Communication Channels

Communication Modality


Sync vs Async

Telecommute from home and that’s it?

No!

New Ways to Work Emerged

Coworking

“Jellies”

Nomadism

Thanks to…

The Oatmeal, Matthew Inman

… for letting me use some of his comics.
Obviously, copyright is all his, not mine for the comics.
It’s great! Read it!
(I don’t own shares but I’m a fan)

http://theoatmeal.com

Questions?