More Firms Say Telecommuting Is An Idea That Works

With Internet access and collaborative software, many companies are finding that employees don’t have to be in the same building to work closely together. To reduce and eliminate geographical boundaries to recruiting and provide a special employee benefit, companies are letting employees work from home or from satellite offices. A recent survey of 600 employers by The Society for Human Resource Management found 37% offer a telecommuting program, as do 26% of companies with fewer than 250 employees and 50% of companies with more than 5,000 employees.

Telecommuting can be set up on a formal or informal basis. Informal arrangements are often short-term projects or personal arrangements for family or medical leave. Formal programs are usually for long-term arrangements, with a possible trial period to test how the arrangement works. Benefits and downsides to telecommuting are discussed and resources for further study such as telecommuting literature, consultants, products and services are provided.

Source: Christine Cube, Washington Business Journal, July 6, 2001