Telecommuting: The New Corporate Perk
By Laura Major

The flexibility of working outside of the traditional workplace is no longer preserved for entrepreneurs
and well-connected business people. According to the 2004-05 International Telework Association and Counsel
survey conducted by Dieringer Research Group, over 135 million employees worked outside of the office in America
last year. The number of American employees who worked from home equaled 45.1 million.

Employers are sending their employees home in increasing numbers due to the benefits companies reap from these arrangements. Reductions in facility costs and sick time usage are just two of the numerous areas where companies experience savings in operation costs. Telecommuting also increases productivity, employee loyalty and the employment labor pool. The ability to work from home removes common office distractions such as office gossip cliques. When employees feel trusted and are rewarded with the privilege, they are less likely to experience job dissatisfaction. In addition, telecommuters feel compelled to increase productivity to maintain the privilege.

Increased loyalty results in a decrease in corporate attrition rates. With the removal of location as a boundary,
human resource recruiters have a larger pool from which to recruit talent. As a result, companies can truly recruit
and maintain the best talent regardless of the location of that talent.

Much like employers, employees reap many benefits from telecommuting. Due to the lack of a physical commute,
home workers experience less stress while saving money on fuel and dry cleaning costs. Additionally, teleworkers
save time and may even save on daycare costs depending on the telework agreement they have with their employer.

However, as with everything in life, there are drawbacks for both telecommuters and their employers. Telecommuters often experience isolation and family distractions. Working from home alone while the rest of the family is away can leave a teleworker anxious for human interaction. This possibility can have an adverse effect on productivity. Family members,who are use to traditional work taking place outside of the home, may interfere with the telecommuter's ability to complete their daily work-related tasks. Since life goes on back at the office, many telecommuters worry about being overlooked for career advancement opportunities because they are distanced from the office communication chain.

In reality, the ability to successfully work from home does not have to negatively impact the potential for career
advancement. The disadvantage for employers begins to surface when they do not accurately anticipate how their employees will function in a work-at-home situation. Employers also have to become creative when releasing an undisciplined telecommuter from their duties to insure the company property is not damaged or misused.

Finally, the advantages of telecommuting for employees and employers far exceed the disadvantages they may encounter. Once employers institute telecommuting programs, all parties involved work very hard to see that it is a success.