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Today’s technology means just about everything in life can be done remotely, from turning on your lights before you arrive home to dating someone on the other side of the globe. It’s not surprising that modern conveniences have paved the way for employees to spend their days working from home instead of punching a clock at company headquarters. The telecommuting trend doesn’t seem to be slowing. In 2010, the U.S. Bureau of Labor estimated 25 per cent of full-time workers did some work at home. Telework Research Network figures state the number of people opting to telecommute skyrocketed 73 per cent from 2005 to 2011. Over three million Americans – not counting the self-employed – considered their home to be their primary workplace in 2011. The decision to allow your employees to telecommute, or to begin telecommuting yourself, has some major pros and its share of cons. More companies are extending the alternative arrangement to staff, while at the same time others that have embraced the work-at-home model for years are discontinuing the practice. If you ask many professionals, especially young workers or those with children, the freedom to telecommute is paramount and a major deciding factor in accepting a new position. In fact, a Harris Interactive study of 3,900 workers found that flexible schedules were important to 59 per cent surveyed, and 33 per cent thought working from home was more attractive than having a company car. It can be a powerful recruitment and retention tool, and many employees who work from home report higher job satisfaction and reduced stress, especially when a long daily commute to the office is eliminated. In turn, that boosts productivity and reduces turnover rates. Some companies believe in the concept so strongly they are migrating to a model where the majority of its employees will telecommute. Canadian wireless provider Telus aims to have 70 per cent of its workforce based in home offices by 2015. Virgin Group founder Richard Branson has always worked from home. He feels that one day brick-and-mortar offices will be a thing of the past, and that businesses need to embrace the shift. “Many employees who work from home are extremely diligent, get their job done, and get to spend more time with their families,” Branson wrote in a blog post. “They waste less time commuting and get a better work/life balance. To force everybody to work in offices is old-school thinking.” Allowing telecommuting can benefit the bottom line. Take American insurance company Aetna: From 2005 to 2012, it increased the number of employees working from home from nine to 47 per cent, saving $78 million in real estate costs. Savings can be found in other areas as well – everything from phone systems to office supplies. But that’s not to say that allowing your employees to work from home automatically means they will cover all associated costs or that you’ll be off the hook when it comes to liability. Naturally, one of the biggest downsides to telecommuting is the fact the employee – and their work habits – cannot be physically monitored. Employers are still liable for health and safety issues, including ergonomics, when working from home and proper equipment security can be worrisome in the residential environment. Of particular concern is the documentation of hours – not only to ensure optimal productivity, but to protect the company against future claims of unpaid overtime and other labor violations. Perhaps the biggest reason many companies are no longer encouraging telecommuting is its effect on the culture of collaboration. The decision by Yahoo to have all employees return to the office was based on this principle, coupled with hard data from the company’s virtual private network that showed workers weren’t spending enough time on their assignments. Some businesses are even sharing space with other unrelated companies for the benefit it brings, not only for effective use of resources, but for idea generation and creative socialization. It’s been proven that we are motivated and inspired by the people we interact with on a daily basis. Allowing staff to work from home has had a positive outcome for many companies, but has been a hindrance for others. So should your company allow it? Instead of taking a firm stance either way, examine each circumstance on its own merits. Consider if the position is a good fit for telecommuting, whether the individual is well-suited to work from home, and if the concept meshes with your company culture. Telecommuting can be a mutually beneficial work arrangement, but it’s a decision best made on a case-by-case basis.
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Telecommute, Working from Home, Technological Advancements,
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