Best Reasons for Work at Home Staff
It should not come as a big surprise that companies are more willing to look at telecommuting options for some of their staff members. Over time, there are benefits that companies are discovering either because they have tried telecommuting or because of other companies' reports on their successes with telecommuting. One of the biggest companies who attempted telecommuting isAT&Tand while they have slightly scaled back their program, it was widely accepted as successful.
Cost savings analysis
One of the primary reasons why work at home is more acceptable to many employers comes down to simple mathematics. Companies cansave as much as $8,000 per yearper employee. While some of these savings are typically a result of needing less physical space, in some instances because telecommuting can be considered a benefit, some employees may be willing to take a slightly lower salary in return for the flexibility offered to them.
Ability to verify
Companies are beginning to understand some interesting factors about employees who work at home. In many cases, work at home staff members are far more productive than their "in-house" counterparts. In large part, this is because there are fewer interruptions, fewer distractions and more than ever before, companies are able to "monitor" their at-home staff members working habits. This is due in large part to technology that allows them toreview activity in real timeor on a delayed basis.
Finding new employees
Another positive outcome for employers who offer an option for telecommuting is employee retention and the ease of finding new employees. Today, more employees are seeking ways to maintain ahealthy work-life balance. Companies who offer employees the ability to work one or more days a week at home are more likely to find motivated employees and retain them.Retentionalso helps cut down on training costs.
There is little doubt that the current job market presents challenges for those who are seeking a job. However, companies are also indicating a "lack" of talented workers for their open positions. Being able to offer telecommuting options to more employees can help a company find skilled workers who need more flexibility than a typical 40 hour work week offers.
While it may be true that employees who spend one-half or more of their time away from the office may beoverlooked for promotions, in the long run, increased job satisfaction, reduced employee costs and lower cost of facilities may drive even more companies to hire those who prefer to telecommute.