Telecommuting from organizations and the telecommuters

Abstract

This paper examines telecommuting from both the organization and the telecommuter.  It takes a look at the positive aspects of a telecommuting program from the organizations standpoint and also the negative aspects.  It then takes a look at the positive and negatives aspects of telecommuting from the employee's perspective.  The positive and negative aspects from society's perspective are addressed as well.

Telecommuting: A Good Fit for both Employee and Employer

Telecommuting began its rise with the technology that allowed workers to dial in and work from home.  Telecommuting has seen a steady growth since then.  Today, with the economic crisis, many organizations are looking to telecommuting to save money and leverage their experienced work force in order to sustain them through the economic crisis. This will mean a shift in the way organizations look at flexible work environment and the way employees balance their work and family life.

Telecommuting occurs whenever an employee is paid for work conducted at an alternative worksite. (Crandall & Longge, 2005)   Telecommuting can be done at home, from your car, coffee shop, or anywhere you can access your work from outside your office.  The majority of telecommuting is done from home.  They have a dedicated space where they typically work on laptops or personal computers that are able to connect to their office.  Most telecommuters have mobile equipment provided by their organization and are set up with security to protect company information. With high speed internet and wireless internet access becoming more available in more places employees are able to work almost anywhere.  Telecommuting can be full time or even part time.  If you open your laptop and login to work while waiting for your plane to take off you are telecommuting.  Logging in from home early in the morning before you go to work to run reports is a form of telecommuting.  "Caroline Jones calls telecommuting "the quiet revolution" and sees it slowly becoming a standard flexible work option Corporate America offers workers; like job sharing and maternity leave" (Tahmincioglu, 2007).

According to a report published by the General Accounting Office (GAO), 9.3 million employees telecommute at least once a week and 16.5 million employees telecommute at least once a month (Robertson, 2001). According to the WorldatWork Telework Trendlines 2009 Report that number has increased significantly.  In 2009 it was reported that 24.2 million employees telecommute at least once a week and 33.7 million at least once a month. Almost 13.5 million telecommute almost every day.  The growth of telecommuting had slowed in recent years but now it is seeing another growth due in part to the economic climate and the new generation of workers.  The new college graduates have grown up in an age of technology and embrace the idea of using technology to make work easier and more flexible.  Their portable devices are with them at all times and they keep them connected to work and friends.  The places where people telecommute most often are at home, at a customer or client's place of business, in their car, at a café or restaurant, a hotel, a library, on an airplane, train, subway, or while on vacation. 

The following statistics are from the WorldatWork Telework Trendlines 2009.

GenderAge
61% male Age 18-34 = 42%

39% femaleAge 35-54 = 48%
Age 55+ = 8%

EducationMean Age = 40.3, Median Age = 38

High School or less = 23%
Some College or Vocational Training = 28%Household Income
College Graduate = 50%Under $40,000 = 10%
Post Graduate Degree = 15%$40-75,000 = 32%
>$75,000 = 52%

(The Dieringer Research Group Inc., 2009)

According to the statistics above the average telecommuter is a 40 year old male college graduate, who makes more than $75,000 per year.  As more Generation I enter the work force the average age of the telecommuter will decrease and more middle income workers will take advantage of organizations telecommuting programs.

There are several reasons why telecommuting is attractive to organizations.  In this current economic climate it makes more sense to allow employees to work from home in order to increase productivity and save money on office space expense.  The research indicates that employee productivity is increased by telecommuting. Most studies have shown that productivity increases 10 - 15% (The American Telecommuting Association, 2008).  Productivity increases are seen because of time gained by not having to commute.  The time spent commuting can now be spent working.  Productivity is also increased by fewer distractions and socializing which often happens in an office situation.  Employees who work from home feel less stress and pressure and are able to focus and prioritize better without the constant interruptions that often happen in the office.

Organizations have also seen a significant savings in dollars spent on office space because of telecommuting.  "Telecommuting saves an estimated $3,000 per telecommuter a year in real estate costs" (Lewis, 1998). A company that has a large telecommuting program can downsize their actual office space by using shared offices for the telecommuters.  "Pacific Bell realized $400,000 savings in office space by allowing 400 of its sales force to telecommute" (Gainey, Kelley, & Hill, 1999).  Most telecommuters who work from home come into the office at least one day a week or every two weeks.  They don't require a separate office space for that one day they are in the office.  Most organizations provide shared office spaces that telecommuters use and share with other telecommuters for those times when they are in the office.  This eliminates the need for large office buildings and it also overhead and can lower facility expenses. These cost savings can be significant if an organization has a large telecommuting force.

"Telecommuting can open the organization's access to pools of professional candidates who were physically inaccessible in the past" (Crandall & Longge, 2005).  It allows organizations to hire individuals that they may not ordinarily hire because they require special accommodation.  If an organization occupies an older building that is not handicapped assessable they may not be able to hire someone in a wheelchair without major renovations of their facility.  In a telecommuting situation however, they can hire someone in a wheelchair who works from home.  Meetings and progress reports can be scheduled offsite at a third location that is handicapped assessable.  Older workers, pregnant women, and people who want to maintain an active role in their children's lives can benefit from telecommuting.  It provides them with flexible schedules and organizations with a wider range of high quality workers.

Telecommuting has also been shown to reduce absenteeism and turnover (Gibson, Blackwell, Dominicis, & Demerath, 2002).  Employees often need to take time off to attend to personal matters such as doctor's appointments, conferences with their children's teachers, etc.  The flexible working schedule offered by telecommuting allow for employees to take the time away from work and still get the job done by working longer hours, working later or getting up extra early.  The telecommuter doesn't have to worry about large snowfalls and trying to get to work due to toad closings, or other disasters that might keep them home from work.

Some organizations have not implemented a telecommuting program because of various perceived downsides to telecommuting.  Most of them are more perceptions than actual downfalls that can be measured.  One of the perceptions is the idea that the manager cannot see the employee so they aren't sure what they are doing.  They fear that they might not be working as hard as they should be because they can't see them actually working.  This is more of a control issue than an actual productivity one.  Studies indicate that productivity increases with telecommuting, so it is just a perception that the employee may not be working as hard as those in the office.  Those who manage telecommuters are faced with a different set of issues to make the program successful.  Clear and defined goals as well as progress reports must be part of the assessment for the telecommuter.

Performance reviews are more difficult for the telecommuter because the manager doesn't see the telecommuter on a daily basis. It is much easier when day to day contact allows a manager to view an employee in different situations and observe how they handle them.  To overcome this managers must be careful about who they select for telecommuting.  Ideally they should select someone who already works well on their own without much direction, someone with a proven track record.  As mentioned before there should be clearly defined goals and regular progress checks to make sure the telecommuter is meeting their objectives.

Security is another major consideration for telecommuting.  There must be systems in place that will safeguard the organizations most sensitive information from being compromised if the employee works at home or at a client's office or elsewhere (Crandall & Longge, 2005).  Many organizations do not offer telecommuting for this very reason.  A well thought out security system along with key controls can offer a safe environment for telecommuting. 

Health and safety are another concern for organizations.  Organizations with successful telecommuting programs have guidelines for the telecommuter to make sure that the home office work environment is a safe and ergonomic work space for them to work from.  While many organizations can provide the telecommuter with office furniture, equipment and all they need to work away from the office they must also take into consideration the health and safety of the working environment for the telecommuter. Organizations are still responsible for the health and safety of the telecommuter even if they work from home.

Finally many organizations worry about how the telecommuter can stay tuned into the corporate culture and feel a part of the team when they are not in the office for extended periods of time.  This is probably the most difficult aspect of telecommuting.  Many organizations try to solve this by setting up e-newsletters that let telecommuters know what is happening at the office on a weekly basis or even a daily basis.  Some plan special team building activities for the telecommuter on the days they are in the office and hold organizational meetings that they are required to attend in the office.  It is the job of the organization to choose those employees who are highly motivated and fully engaged in the organization. An organizations most dedicated employees will usually make the best telecommuters.  Organizations must be sure they also select the right job for the telecommuter.  Not all jobs can be done in a telecommuting environment.

Telecommuting from an employee's perspective has several advantages.  Many telecommuters site job satisfaction as the number one benefit of telecommuting (Crandall & Longge, 2005).  By working from home telecommuters are allowed to have more flexible working hours and a more flexible working environment.  The job satisfaction is a huge factor for most employees.  Organizations have found that employees who have a higher job satisfaction are often healthier overall and happier.  This can in turn lead to more productive employees.

Another benefit for telecommuters is the lack of commute time.  Depending on where you work many employees have long commute times which can lead to stress and frustration.  Eliminating this can help eliminate the stress for employees.  Not having to commute can cut down on travel expenses either by saving gas or money spent on mass transit.  It allows employees to wake up and immediately start work if they choose.  It can lead to longer periods of uninterrupted work. 

Uninterrupted work can be another benefit for employees.  They no longer need to be distracted by other workers stopping by to chat or loud noise interrupting their train of thought.  Tasks that require quiet concentration can now be done without the worry of constant interruption providing the telecommuter does not have other distractions in the home while they are working.

One problem that employees often have with telecommuting is a feeling of being isolated from the rest of the office (Crandall & Longge, 2005).  They worry about what is going on at the office when they are not there.  Friendships are being developed and they are not a part of the group.  The corporate culture today stresses team work.  Many organizations pride themselves on the team environment they foster.  They have team building events and offsite team building classes.  The telecommuter by the nature of their work is missing out on many of the organizations team dynamics.  It will be up to the manager to make sure that the telecommuter is kept involved with the organization and made to feel part of the team.

Another concern is getting passed over for promotion.  There is a saying, "Out of sight, out of mind", this can be a concern for telecommuters (Gibson, et. al. 2002).  This is where clearly defined goals and objectives can be helpful for the telecommuter who still wants to be considered for promotion.  The goals and objectives will give the manager something to base the overall performance of the telecommuter on and allow for a promotion where warranted.

Society also plays a role in telecommuting.  One advantage for society offered by telecommuters is cleaner air.  No one can argue that fewer cars on the roads commuting to work each day will lead to cleaner air for everyone.  Fewer cars also mean lower gas consumption and less wear and tear on the roads.  Reduced traffic congestion is also a benefit from fewer commuters on the road. In contrast telecommuting can lead to less social interaction between employees.  Personal relationships can be harmed and people may begin to feel isolated.

Telecommuting can be a valuable benefit for both the organization and the employee.  As technology advances we may see more video conferencing taking place between telecommuters and business partners.  Virtual offices may be seen on every block where telecommuters can drop in and login to catch up on email and work.  More and more jobs that don't require hands on work may become options for telecommuters and we may even begin seeing more international telecommuting jobs.  As organizations expand globally they may use telecommuting to keep in touch with their overseas operations.  Telecommuting may become the number one benefit that draws employees to organizations.