Telecommuting Opens Opportunities to Lupus Sufferers
The Internet has opened doors to a lot of opportunities not just financially but also for certain people who want to put their skills and talents into use right at the comfort of their homes by telecommuting. Freelancers, single mothers and individuals who are confined at home due to illnesses have found an ally in the World Wide Web.
Who Telecommutes?
According to The Telework Coalition, an estimated 100 million U.S. workers will telecommute by 2010. Big companies such as Ford, Delta, Intel and Industry Canada claim that their productivity increased when they started to hire teleworkers.
Telecommuting jobs are usually associated with freelancers and private consultants, though many people in various jobs from banking to online psychologists perform their work by telecommuting. Computers, the Internet and cell phones have made telecommuting a viable way to earn a living.
People suffering from lupus are among those who benefit from the existing technologies. Without the Internet and cell phones, some, if not most of them would have been stuck at home, unable to do what they were trained to do. In short, talents have been wasted.
Financial Independence
Telecommuting has given lupus patients a chance to achieve financial independence and the freedom to set-up an alternative workplace. Instead of relying solely on government assistance, they can add to their income by this currently unconventional mode of working.
Home - the Ideal Workplace
Health-wise, a telecommuting job for lupus patients would mean lowering the risk of contracting illnesses that could further weaken their immune system. It also gives people who suffer from the disease, as well as chronic lethargy, an opportunity to work on their own terms. Individuals who suffer from lupus can rest or sleep when they need to, which is impossible in a normal 20 or even 40 hour a week job.
Flexibility is definitely one of telecommuting’s strong points. In addition to the common fatigue lupus patients feel, many take pain medications, which make it difficult, if not dangerous, to drive a car to work. Some patients may even take chemo drugs, which can make them feel ill with flu-like symptoms several days out of the week.
Generally, telecommuting gives individuals a large measure of control over their schedules. In the United States, companies hire persons with disabilities to do telecommuting work to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. This also encompasses a disabled person’s right to be employed and promoted just like anyone else.
Some employers still require persons with disabilities to report to work from time to time. In this set-up, the employee is given tasks that can be done at home or in the office. The Midwest Institute for Telecommuting Education encourages employers to have their teleworkers report to the office periodically, just to make sure that tasks are done.
Telecommuting Advocates
One of the biggest advocates of telecommuting is the Telecommuting Safety and Health Benefits Institute (THSBI). Its mission is to promote telecommuting as a means of saving lives, reducing injuries and improving health towards a better quality of life. Though unfunded, this institute created by Rick Johnson remains active in its campaign among companies as well as the government itself.
Many companies are also coming to realize that keeping a trained employee on through a telecommuting job is cheaper than hiring and training new employees. Lupus patients, persons with other disabilities as well as women with young children, may be able to keep their current jobs as telecommuting becomes an accepted method of employment.
Along with the other chronic disease sufferers, lupus patients can take advantage of the benefits of telecommuting. However, a willingness to work at home does not mean that this kind of job is for everyone. Individuals that succeed in this type of work are usually self-motivated individuals that can organize their schedules effectively. Those that need others for constant support may do better working at a regular job that has some flexibility built into the work schedule.
