11260 Ecuadorian employees opted for telecommuting

An alternative for employees in Quito to adapt their activities on the day that they cannot drive with their cars, without harming the company’s development and even increasing its productivity, is teleworking. The mechanism allows the employee to work one or several days a week outside the company, but it can also be permanent (that all his tasks be performed without approaching the office any day).

Given the increased time for vehicular restriction in the capital, several companies have shown interest in using this modality, said Nataly Mayorga, responsible for the issue at the Ministry of Labor. This model is used by 2,114 private companies and 21 public institutions in the country, according to data in this Portfolio, with a cut as of September 3.

The economic sectors that use this modality the most are commerce, professional activities, administrative services, information, and communication. Teleworking is a worldwide trend that was recently regulated in Ecuador in 2016 for the private sector, and in 2017 for public institutions. There are 11 260 people under this system, according to the Ministry.

The goal of 2021 is to reach 16,500 within the scheme. Cristina Larrea is the Manager of Personnel Management at Telefónica (Movistar). Every Wednesday she has been working in her home for six months because the license plate of her vehicle ends at 6 and that day she cannot move freely.

The other days she attends her company normally. The experience has been positive for her, because she can move forward with issues that she cannot finish in the office, due to the constant meetings she has. And she also has more time with her family. Of the 1,200 employees that Telefónica has, 800 are teleworkers who work one day a week at home.

Larrea explains that the firm designates one leader per group, responsible for verifying that people fulfill their day’s tasks. Official data shows that a teleworker is 23% more productive than a face-to-face employee. Ligia Cueva, director of operations at the Icare consultancy, a strategic and political analysis cabinet, also telecommutes on Wednesdays, since her car had a peak and license plate. That day took more than 90 minutes to move from his home, located in the Los Chillos Valley, to his office in the north of Quito.

The only requirement to work in this way in that company is that employees send scheduled tasks and keep an eye on the phone. Mayorga exposes that not all people can telework. To select staff, organizations must first assess the profile of the worker, who is responsible, possesses leadership and technological capabilities.

In public entities, however, the server’s rating is taken into account in its performance evaluations. Xavier Verdesoto, manager of Nexostalent, a firm specialized in Human Talent, points out that the greatest factor for teleworking to succeed is the desire and commitment of the employee.

But managers are also required to bet seriously on staff innovation and change their minds about how they supervise their employees. When a worker who is on payroll goes to work totally or partially outside the office, the employer makes an annex to his contract, without altering the remuneration received.

A teleworker has the same rights and obligations as a face-to-face employee, even when charging overtime, Verdesoto observes. The document specifies all aspects of the agreement: the place where the person will perform their tasks, functions to be fulfilled, time, procedure for the approval of additional hours to the day and more. The coverage of technological support and food expenses, according to Mayorga, depends on the agreement reached with the employee. In some cases, companies provide all the equipment and bear the costs of Internet payment, as well as lunch.

But it is also valid if the agreement states that these details are the responsibility of the worker. Authorities and executives realize the effects on the performance of human talent and, therefore, on the business. Petroecuador implemented a pilot plan at the beginning of August this year. In the first weeks, there has been a greater labor commitment and resource savings for the company, says Lúber Ávala, head of Human Talent Administration. The state oil company has six teleworkers, but the goal is to incorporate 44 more until the end of the year.

Kathiuska Espinoza, who has been in the Petroecuador Administrative Area for 11 years, is one of the company’s first teleworkers. Count that the adaptation has been quick. She applied because she wanted to help reduce the pollution generated by the use of a car. She was inspired by her husband, who has been working partially from home for more than a year, so she chose the same day he is at home: Wednesday.

In addition to this modality, workers engineer different less formal options to adapt to the measure of Today does not circulate. The most common is to share the vehicle between several people. To do this, they call themselves on social networks and create chat groups, in which they coordinate schedules and tours of those who participate in the initiative.

Source: El Comercio – https://www.elcomercio.com/actualidad/teletrabajo-empleados-quito-transito-empresas.html