More data is emerging that supports offering employees the option to work remotely.
Employees view telework as a way to achieve work-life balance as their jobs become more demanding, and two-thirds of employers in a recent Flex+Strategy Group survey agreed that their business would suffer if they did not offer telework as an option.
And now, after PGi, maker of collaboration software, asked nearly 1,000 individuals in an online survey about their attitudes and experiences with telework, the responses overwhelming supported the concept.
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Respondents said they believe the telework option lowers employee stress level (82 percent of respondents agreed with that statement) and raises their morale (80 percent). Productivity is higher, reported 70 percent, and absenteeism is reduced by telework, said 69 percent.
Companies that offer the telework option to staff must find it a keeper, because 89 percent said their companies have not altered or axed their remote working policy. Just 6 percent of employers who had offered it a year ago took it off the table.
The big exception has been Yahoo, which revoked the option for its entire workforce last year. Apparently, that much-publicized decision didn't influence other telework-friendly companies.
In other nuggets from the PGi mine:
- 80 percent of employers allow telecommuting;
- 71 percent of employees participate in telecommuting programs;
- 50 percent of employees telecommute once a week;
- 22 percent telecommute 5+ days a week;
- Nine out of 10 remote workers get most of their work done using a company laptop.
"Telecommuting provides important emotional benefits for employees, while at the same time delivering meaningful operational improvements for businesses," said Sean O'Brien, EVP of strategy & communications for PGi.
"Instead of insisting on 9-to-5 hours in an office, our customers are increasingly adopting virtual collaboration technologies … to provide rich online engagement and to empower their 'anywhere workers' to work smarter and be more productive. We expect that this trend will continue as companies worldwide understand the value and benefits of adopting flexible work models."
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Dan Cook
Dan Cook is a journalist and communications consultant based in Portland, OR. During his journalism career he has been a reporter and editor for a variety of media companies, including American Lawyer Media, BusinessWeek, Newhouse Newspapers, Knight-Ridder, Time Inc., and Reuters. He specializes in health care and insurance related coverage for BenefitsPRO.
