Show what you mean - Telecommuting

Imagine living in a world, where you travel to work once a week or less and get paid for the full week.

Mr./Madam Toastmaster and fellow speechcrafters!

Welcome to the reality, this is the world of telecommuting.

Today… I will tell you about telecommuting and its’ benefits to you, your employer, and the community.

What is telecommuting?

Telecommuting is “the agreed performance of work away from the central workplace”.

It can be implemented as part of fixed work arrangement where the employee works away from the central office on a recurring day or days,

For example… one can choose to work from home every Monday and Friday.

Or it can be implemented as an ad-hoc arrangement, where the employee works at home when needed and operationally convenient.

In this case there is no fixed day or time.

Telecommuting uses telecommunications technology to replace part, or all, of the physical journey to the workplace.

In the last 5 years an increasingly large number of organizations have adopted telecommuting as part of their HR policy.

Nearly 40% of the United States working population has the facility to work from home.

What are the benefits will you get from telecommuting?

Telecommuting can save you a lot of your time and money.

If you are living 10 kilometers away from the office in the city, and using public transport to travel.

You have to spend up to 1 and ½ hours on the road to come to work and go back to home.

And when we consider changing and preparation times it will add extra one hour.

In simple terms,

You have to spend 2 and ½ hours in your daytime, Just to get ready for the work.

What if you work from home?

You get extra 2 and ½ hours a day to spend with your family and loved ones.

Saving money is another very important aspect of telecommuting.

How much money can you save by telecommuting?

If you do not travel to work and work from home for five days,

You can save from 30 to 100 dollars depending on your medium of transport.

Now we will see the benefits for the employer.

Increased productivity through higher level of employee satisfaction.

Increased operational resilience in the face of external disruption.

for example transport strikes, severe weather, natural disasters or terrorist action.

Employer may provide extended hours of operation.

Less parking demand from employees.

Office requires less floor space, as sharing of desks is possible among multiple employees.

This results in reduced accommodation cost.

Now we will see the benefit to the community.

There are two direct advantages for the community as a result of telecommuting.

1. Less CO2 emissions as a result of reduced transport requirements.

2. Improved family relationships as a result of employee spending more time with their family.

Is your work place also having arrangements to support telecommuting?

If it is not there,

Now it is a good time to enlighten your managers about the advantages of it.

Mr/Madam. Toastmaster…

Be In Earnest - The Great Australian dream

“Owning a detached house on a fenced block of land”

This was once known as “The great Australian dream”

Mr Toastmaster and fellow speechcrafters!

Is it really worth it to buy a house in Australia?

Housing prices in Australia have hit record highs;

In fact no normal person can afford to buy a house in Australia.

Recently, a survey carried out in the cities around the world where the population is more than one million people.

This survey shows that from the 12 least affordable cities,

5 are from Mainland Australia.

All five state capitals considered as severely un-affordable cities.

Sydney is in the top of the list followed by Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth.

Canberra, Hobart and Darwin were not included in this survey;
not because they are affordable, but because they have less than one million people.

According to this survey;

In Adelaide you will need to pay 7.1 times your annual salary to buy a house.

Median house price in Adelaide is around 410,000 dollars.

When we add other buying costs such as stamp duty and pre-purchase inspection; the price will be 430,000 dollars.

To buy this property without a mortgage insurance;

You will have to save 86,000 dollars for the 20% deposit.

If you save 1,500 (Fifteen Hundred) dollars a month, it will take up to 5 years to save for the deposit.

How do you find 1,500 dollars per month?

Will you get an immediate salary increment because you have started saving for a house?

No…
You have to sacrifice your day to day entertainment costs,
Long Vacations, Exotic Holidays, Family parties and Kids birthdays to save money.

Once you have saved enough money for the deposit;
You go and buy the house you need.

Your mortgage amount will be 344,000 dollars, and your loan term is 30 years.

Here comes the bitter part,

Now you have to pay 2,500 dollars per month as the Loan repayment;

Plus you will have to spend extra 6,000 dollars per year (or 500 dollars per month)
as council rates, Maintenance cost and home insurance.

You will continue to pay this money for the next 30 years.

Now we will look at the bigger picture;

If you start saving at age of 20, you can buy your home at age of 25,

And then you will continue to pay for the mortgage for another 30 years.

By age of 55 you are the 100% owner of your dream home.

But….You will miss the enjoyment of your life for 35 years.

You will miss Long Vacations, Exotic Holidays, family parties and Kids birthdays.

Sacrifice 35 years of your life’s best time; just to own a house?

Is this really worth it?

Mr Toastmaster…