To Work from Home or Not? That is the Question Dear Watson!

As news sources everywhere announced that Yahoo’s CEO, Marissa Mayer, was putting an end to telecommuting for thousands of remote employees, the controversy began. The issue of whether or not employees should be allowed to work from their home offices has been a hot topic for several years, but now it’s getting even more media attention, and a great deal of feedback from each side of the debate.

Many believe that telecommuting is good for business and for the 3.1 million Americans who work from home full time. (Source: Telework Research Network, 2011) Others think that telecommuting only encourages employees to become disconnected from their peers and the corporate culture. Whatever side of the fence you are on, telecommuting is not going away anytime soon, and experts believe that it will morph into something entirely different over the coming decade.

Who Telecommutes?

Let’s take a closer look at the world of the remote workforce. There are some clear advantages and disadvantages to working in a location that is not part of the corporate office. For each individual, there is an arrangement that works the best, given their work style, professional and personal commitments. The average person who chooses to work from home does so for a variety of reasons, with the top being:

• Flexibility and freedom to choose own schedule and work autonomously
• More work-life balance between personal and work commitments
• The ability to work for industries not represented by the local market
• As a way to save their employers money and earn a nice tax credit for home office
• To be more in control of the projects and earnings one can experience in a career

A large number of primary breadwinners work from home offices, men and women in the average age group of 35 – 54 year olds, having college degrees, and stable careers. These are folks who are dedicated to the pursuit of success in their careers; not slackers or occasional workers.

What are the Negatives of Allowing Employees to Work Remotely?

Just as in any work arrangement, there can be a few down sides to telecommuting. Management often believes that they cannot count on their remote employees to be as productive. There may be some technology challenges, such as allowing for remote access to company databases and secure work platforms. Tracking work hours can be a challenge at time, unless there is a system in place to manage this, such as a Human Resource Management System. Remote employees who are used to working around other people may experience short-term depression or feelings of isolation.

What are the Benefits of Allowing Employees to Work from Home?

There are some very good business reasons why a company may choose to allow a portion or all of their employees to work from a home office.

• There is an estimated 35-40 percent increase in overall productivity when employees have the ability to work at least part of the time from home.
• Nearly $670 million dollars could be saved by all businesses in the USA in the form of real estate costs, employee turnover, absenteeism, and increased productivity.
• $11 billion in work related accidents could be avoided by allowing employees to work remotely.

What Does the Future Hold for Telecommuting?

It has been estimated that some 40 percent of all jobs could be carried out remotely. With 76 percent of telecommuters willing to put in extra work, and 86 percent saying they are more productive from their home office – the transformation of the workforce will continue to evolve into new ways of telework. (Source: Splashtop.com)

Overall, there are a resounding number of companies who believe that allowing telecommuting can support business growth and innovation. The future will only tell, as long as a majority of the world’s leading companies allow this.

Watch the Marissa Mayer video here: