Butter, Milk, Eggs

There is no doubt that technology is increasing at what Doctor Seuss would consider "a break-necking pace" (Oh the Places You'll Go). Technology is requiring more of the individual; gone are the days of total, secluded alone time. Think about the use of cell phones. A typical cell phone user carries around his or her phone at all times. A trip to the grocery store isn't just to buy butter, milk, and eggs. Now time spent grocery shopping can also be used to set up appointments, call an old friend, update Facebook statuses and more.

Similarly, an employer can expect more of an employee outside of the typical cubical hours. In a Macroeconomics class the professor talked about the TANSTAAFL theory, There ain't no such thing as a free lunch. For the purpose of this blog, consider it to be There ain't no such thing as a free day off. Someone will always have to pick up the slack whether it be the employee or a colleague. Because of new technology an employee can easily make-up time for days off by working from home. This is possible through new collaboration technology such as LinkedIn, Google Docs, Blogs, Video Conference calls, and text messaging. This also allows for telecommuting on a regular basis.

Employees can use these resources to

1. Work from home
2. Catch up on work while gone

Employers can use these resources to

1. Have a globally distributed team.
2. Increase productivity (IBM has found a 15-40% increase in productivity because of telecommuting.)
3. Work on a smaller budget because of less office space.

According to Metcalfe's law, the more people who use something, the more valuable it becomes. Therefore, as companies continue their use of this technology it will become increasingly more valuable to the employee and the employer.

http://ihop.typepad.com/virtual/2010/04/telecommuting-advantages-and-disadvantages-for-the-employer.html
http://whatmatters.mckinseydigital.com/internet/using-technology-to-improve-workforce-collaboration