Like many of you, I spent years commuting to work each day — driving through traffic, spending hours on subways and trains, wasting precious time simply trying to get from here to there. This wasted time could have been better spent on work productivity, personal pursuits, or with family.

 

Through my own experiences as a business owner, I have found telecommuting to be an attractive alternative to commuting to a centralized workplace. It provides significant benefits for employees and employers alike, as well as offering advantages in the areas of environmental protection and energy conservation.

 

Studies show that telecommuting is also gaining popularity with many other U.S. employers, as they realize the cost benefits offered by telecommuting programs.

 

According to a study conducted by The Dieringer Research Group of WorldatWork (2006), the number of Americans telecommuting at least one day per month has grown by 10 percent in recent years, rising from 26.1 million in 2005 to 28.7 million in 2006, with roughly 20 percent of the workforce engaging in some type of telecommuting work. Predictions are that this number will continue to rise to an estimated 100 million workers by 2010 due to factors such as increased access to wireless and broadband connections, making it less expensive and more productive to work remotely, and an increasing number of employers favoring alternative work programs designed to help employees with a work/life balance.

 

State and Federal government entities are also beginning to recognize the benefits of telecommuting and are passing measures to promote telework programs, such as the Federal 2001 Transportation Appropriations bill, which requires federal agencies to allow all eligible employees whose jobs lend themselves to telecommuting and who would like to telework to do so. The continued interest of Congress in promoting telework programs centers around environmental and energy benefits as well as providing the capacity to remain operational during large scale emergencies. Georgia’s Clean Air Telework campaign is also a good example of recent state focused efforts to improve air quality and reduce traffic congestion in metro areas. This program provides grants, tax credits, and other support to local companies to assist them in developing telework programs.

 

So, what are the benefits of implementing a telecommuting program in your company? Here are a few of the highlights:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course, there can be some risks involved with setting up telecommuting programs. Working from home is certainly not appropriate for all employees or all positions. Those employees who are not self-motivated may not do well in a work environment where they are not directly managed. There are also some positions and projects that benefit from face-to-face team dynamics and may require on-site interaction between team members. Some telecommuters have also reported working remotely can create an “out of sight, out of mind” mentality, a disadvantage which may lead to being overlooked for promotions.

 

Developing clear policies and providing training for both telecommuters and managers who oversee remote workers can significantly reduce the risks associated with telecommuting programs. Overall, communication should be emphasized to keep workers and management connected and companies must ensure that remote workers have the necessary technology and information securities in place in order to work effectively and efficiently from home computers. Built-in reporting systems and accountability measures that gauge the impact that telecommuting is having on worker productivity are other good ways to ensure the success of your program.  

 

Despite the risk factors associated with the start-up of a telework program, many employers agree that the benefits of telecommuting far outweigh the challenges and that incorporating a well managed telecommuting program can be an effective way to create a productive workforce.