Striving to Keep Teleworkers Happy

coondoggie writes "Employees who work from home or in remote branch offices often feel disconnected from corporate life and worry they will be forgotten and bypassed for promotions. Managers and employees have to make a concerted effort to stay in touch, experts say. At IBM, Pelino and others set out to improve corporate culture. The company sparked new life into an old tradition: IBM Club, which brings together employees for intramural sports, picnics, movies and other types of social, cultural and recreational activities."

Don't worry.

[Tackhead]

> Employees who work from home or in remote branch offices often feel disconnected from corporate life and worry they will be forgotten and bypassed for promotions.

Don't worry. So do the people who work at the head office.

Re:Disconnected from corporate life...

[locokamil]

I agree. Managing strip club + hooker expenses via email/phone is simply too difficult.

Much easier to broach the subject over a friendly game of tennis.

Yeah, this'll work out well...

[CyanDisaster]

...At IBM, Pelino and others set out to improve corporate culture. The company sparked new life into an old tradition: IBM Club, which brings together employees for intramural sports, picnics, movies and other types of social, cultural and recreational activities...

Wouldn't it be ironic that the people it is intended to bring together might not hear about it because the notices for those activites is posted in the lunchroom?

Why yes. I am an optimist. Why do you ask?

Hope be with ye,
Cyan

Re:another opportunity for 'sports'

[couchslug]

In the military we call it Mandatory Fun.

Re:Ex: IBM'er, comments may contain opinions!

[LiquidCoooled]

No, cheerleading implies cheerleaders.
IBM should invest in cheerleading.

Re:another opportunity for 'sports'

[udderly]

It's a fine line...you have to look like a competitor in order to be thought well of by the Fantasy Football League morons but also remember to throttle back your game so that you don't show up your boss in front of everyone. I made that mistake once.

The first year I was working for a former employer, I beat my boss's boss out for first place in a charity road bicycle race. In all honesty, while I knew that the general rule is that you're not supposed to beat the boss, he had been going on and on for weeks about how he "hoped that he would have some real competition."

I've been racing bicycles competitively for years, so there was no doubt in my mind that I could beat him. But I thought that I would just lay back the whole race and then act like I was going to challenge him on the last hill but let him win. Unfortunately, he wasn't quite as good a cyclist as he had been letting on, and halfway up the hill he pulled off to the side and puked.

Needless to say, my employment there was short-lived.

The first rule of IMB Club is....

[skitz0]

you do not talk about IBM Club.
The second rule of IMB Club is. YOU DO NOT TALK ABOUT IBM CLUB.

Re:Carpal Tunnel & Tool to Measure Typing Rate

[Anonymous Coward]

maybe it is time to not spend all day posting to slashdot then - dumbass.

Re:Am I the only one?

[SpottedKuh]

I can spend home studying or, God forbid, working naked in my bedroom, or outside in the backyard(you CAN take the laptop outside)

I guess I'd have to take my laptop outside, were I going to be working naked out there.

Re:another opportunity for 'sports'

[Joebert]

Did you get a "people like you make me sick !" speach when you got the boot ?