Are Energy Prices Turning You Into a Mobile Office Commando?

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Are Energy Prices Turning You Into a Mobile Office Commando?

By crooky | May 30, 2008

A recent blog posting over at Computer World suggests that high gas prices are driving more and more employees and employers to opt for flexible work arrangements/telecommuting. It’s an interesting wrinkle for large companies but for us independent folks who have been working on the road, out of coffee shops and anywhere we can steal some WiFi for nearly a decade, this is not an Earth-shattering revelation.

Right now, I’m partnering with Lori Thiessen and Gregg Taylor as they explore the issue of working in coffee shops for a new book they’re writing. We’re about to launch a public survey to ask freelancers, employees, students and other folks who do the road warrior thing in coffee shops across North America why they do it and what would make their experience better.

We’ve only done a test run to date but my own experience with working on the road for the past five years and the initial survey results suggest that it’s all about atmosphere and the social factors. Sure, I could probably save fuel and money by working exclusively in my nicely equipped home office but it gets very tiresome sitting at my desk by myself all day. After a few days of that, I get cabin fever and require a trip to my favourite coffee shop (which is about a 15 minute drive away).

I crave human contact. The baristas at my favourite coffee shop know me and there are several other freelancers that I know at this shop that I often run into and can have enlightening conversations with. Maybe it’s not the most economically or environmentally sound decision but without an occasional change of scenery, I go nuts.

The Computer World article goes on to suggest that allowing employees to work from coffee shops or from home to save on gas will eventually lead to organizational anarchy where employees never come to work and start behaving like jet-setting consultants. I think this is an irrational fear. There’s always mandatory staff meetings and the need for human contact that will bring people back together.

In the end, nearly ubiquitus Wifi access in coffee shops, cheaper cell phone plans and really good laptop computers are making it easier and easier for freelancers and employees alike to throw off the shackles of the office cubicle. If it saves some gas at the same time - more power to them.

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Aaron “Crooky” Cruikshank is the Principal and Founder of Friuch Consulting. He has written professionally about science and technology for ten years.