Remote working has many benefits

Rush hour traffic jams and late office hours have been consigned to history for Mr Kevin Sweeney, one of the first Hewlett-Packard…

Rush hour traffic jams and late office hours have been consigned to history for Mr Kevin Sweeney, one of the first Hewlett-Packard employees to opt for more work at home.A round trip from his home near Dunboyne, Co Meath, to the company's office in Blackrock, Co Dublin, used to deprive him of three hours or more of his day and time spent with his three children was limited.Now, having signed up for the company's remote access scheme, he spends up to two days a week working from home and a further two days meeting clients. He makes a point of calling in to the office once a week to assist colleagues' needs. Since going "remote" his own productivity has increased."At least I see the children before they disappear to school in the morning and when they're gone things are quiet again. I don't close my door to them when I'm working. I make myself available when they come in with their stories from the day, but when the dust settles I can carry on," he said.Mr Sweeney heads up Hewlett-Packard's Test and Measurement business in Ireland. His work involves face-to-face meetings with representatives from visiting Hewlett-Packard entities and with colleagues in Dublin, but other duties can be conducted as easily from home through his Pentium-based laptop PC.The ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) system connects him directly to head office via the telephone line.Product prices and delivery details can be gleaned by keying in the product number. Marketing and competitive data can also be access through the lap-top.