Maintaining Good Relationships with Your Non-Telecommuting Coworkers

Maintaining Good Relationships with Your Non-Telecommuting Coworkers

One of the realities you face as a telecommuter is the attitude your non-telecommuting coworkers may have toward you, if they feel you have been given a privilege which they were not offered. So writes Stephanie Greenside, the Telecommuting host for the web site: BellaOnline. According to Ms. Greenside, if you're telecommuting and your teammates are not:

Your colleagues may schedule meetings when you are working at home.

At those meetings, your work is criticized and your ideas may be ignored.

Even though you are doing a fine job, some non-telecommuters may feel you are not doing your fair share.

Some of your co-workers may develop a feeling of resentment toward you.

Recommendations
Here's what Ms. Greenside recommends that you do to combat the possible negative attitudes cited above:

Be understanding. Put yourself in your coworkers' shoes and ask how you would feel if you were stuck at the office and someone else was given a telecommuting option.
Maintain regular and open communications with your coworkers and managers.
Explain to your coworkers why you wanted or needed to explore telecommuting and how you went about securing a telecommuting arrangement.
If problems persist with your coworkers, discuss the situation with your manager and try to come up with a solution.

The overall message is: solidify your relationship with your coworkers by staying connected.

NOTE: BellaOnline is a web site created by women to address issues faced by women in such areas as Careers, Health, Family, Health & Fitness, Finances, and other topics. They bill themselves as "The Voice of Women on The Web." While telecommuting is not a women-only issue, many women find telecommuting an important option to achieve work/life balance.