Assign1

In recent years, as a result of the advancement in technology, the idea of “going to work” has rapidly evolved. The traditional view of the workplace as a place outside of the home is being replaced as a result of greater connectivity and communication through the use of the internet, email, phone/video/web conferencing, in addition to the ability to get in touch with employees virtually anywhere, anytime through smartphones and laptop computers. As the workplace opens up, employees are no longer tethered to a desk or singular physical work location, resulting in opportunities that were once non-existent to certain groups of people. Using the case study “The Great Idea That Wasn’t” by Fiona Macquarie, the purpose of this paper is to present the viability of telecommuting, often referred to as telework or virtual work, as an alternate work option for organisations and their employees. I shall start by presenting an overview of the case study, followed by a comparison of company maternity policy in regards to Canadian requirements, then lead into an analysis of the case, specific to the idea of telecommuting as a solution for an employee facing the challenge of balancing returning to work after having a baby.

Introduction

The case study “The Great Idea That Wasn’t” (Fiona Macquarie) revolves around Irena, an employee at a Canadian bank who, unable to return the demanding 80 hours a week work schedule prior to maternity leave, proposes a virtual work solution to her manager. I believe that this telecommuting arrangement was suggested because it utilises practices that offer the organisation and the returning employee mutual benefits. From the High-Performance Work Practices Perspective (HPWP) the benefits of the work-from-home arrangement to the organisation are fairly obvious in terms of retaining valuable human capital which gives the bank an important competitive edge, as according to the case study, it promised “better customer service than other banks”...