Defining freelance and telecommuting employment
One of the most sought after privileges in the IT community (and many others), is the privilege of being allowed to telecommute when not actually needed in the office. However, some people confuse the term 'telecommute' with the term 'freelance'. What actually is the difference between these two terms?
A telecommuter is a person who works for a company, yet is permitted to do a certain subset (maybe all) of their work from home. They may have a computer provided to them, secure access via dial-up or VPN into their home office, and possibly even a small monthly stipend to help offset the costs of maintaining an office in their home.
A freelancer is a person who also may work from home; however, they work for themselves, bidding out for work to a multitude of client companies. For example, a company may need some type of 'widget' developed for their network, yet not have a person on staff who can build that widget. The company may then ask a freelancer to build the widget for them, and submit an invoice for the charges. A freelancer will provide his own computer, his own internet connection, and will generally not be granted remote access into a client's network.
In summary, a telecommuter is a full-time employee who works from home, whereas a freelancer is an independent contractor called in for a specific length of time to fulfill a business need.
A telecommuter is a person who works for a company, yet is permitted to do a certain subset (maybe all) of their work from home. They may have a computer provided to them, secure access via dial-up or VPN into their home office, and possibly even a small monthly stipend to help offset the costs of maintaining an office in their home.
A freelancer is a person who also may work from home; however, they work for themselves, bidding out for work to a multitude of client companies. For example, a company may need some type of 'widget' developed for their network, yet not have a person on staff who can build that widget. The company may then ask a freelancer to build the widget for them, and submit an invoice for the charges. A freelancer will provide his own computer, his own internet connection, and will generally not be granted remote access into a client's network.
In summary, a telecommuter is a full-time employee who works from home, whereas a freelancer is an independent contractor called in for a specific length of time to fulfill a business need.

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