“Census data indicate that the rate of tele-commuting has plateaued at about 17 percent of the U.S. workforce, with the average telecommuter working from home about one day per week.” (US News, Telecommuting Can Boost Productivity and Job Performance, 03.15.2013).
The benefits of tele-commuting have been extensively documented. For the employer, the benefits include increased productivity, reduced absenteeism, decreased attrition, reduced brick and mortar expense, and a labor pool that is not geographically constrained. For the employee, they can avoid a morning commute and help with work-life balancing.
But according to research performed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and published in the Monthly Labor Review – 2012, data showed that providing the option to log-in remotely for employees, served primarily to help expand the workday, more so than replace the company office with the home office.
So why is the frequency of tele-commuting not growing?
The truth is that there are some positions/tasks that can be completed 100% offsite; while there are other positions that can’t be. Aetna boasts that 47% of its 35,000 US workforce works from home. Historically sales positions have worked off-site. While positions that require interaction with colleagues within the organization do not lend themselves to tele-commuting.
This past February, Marissa Mayer (CEO), reversed a Yahoo policy. Working from home was no longer an option for Yahoo employees. Instead, employees would be required to work from a Yahoo location. The reason for the policy change was to facilitate “communication and collaboration.”
Once you identify the roles that can work remotely --
In addition to the
But caution is warranted --
Recent claims have been made in court by plaintiffs that asserted that tele-commuting was justified for an organization to offer reasonable accommodations as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act, i.e. Bixby v. JPMorgan Chase; Core v. Champaign County Board of County Commissioners; and EEOC v. Ford Motor Co.
As such, do not leave the decision to allow a tele-commuting arrangement to be established at the local manager level. This approach will result in different managers having different policies and may create a liability for the company. Establish one policy and ensure that all follow it. Seek the input of an employment attorney.
Where is your company in this process?