Telecommuting is on the rise

A growth in telecommuting came despite panic during mass layoffs, which led many people who teleworked to head back to the office for face time.

By CINDY KRISCHER GOODMAN
cgoodman@MiamiHerald.com

When you can read your e-mail at the beach, hold a video conference in your dining room and chat with a co-worker from a doctor's waiting room, is there finally a new definition of ``the office''?

The numbers say yes.

Teleworking -- working remotely at least one day a week -- is on the rise, driven by businesses desperate to cut costs, a new emphasis on the green movement and the increasing availability of a high-speed Internet connection. Today, more than 34 million U.S. adults telecommute at least occasionally and that number is expected to swell to 63 million -- or 43 percent of U.S. workers -- by 2016.

``The recession just may have moved teleworking from being a cushy perk to becoming a business necessity,'' Miami employment attorney Richard Tuschman of Epstein Becker Green, recently told a group of employers considering teleworking arrangements.

Managers typically resist out of fear of losing control of employees. But now, businesses desperate to save money on office space or reluctant to pay a new hire to relocate are allowing workers, sometimes even forcing workers, to set up a home or virtual office -- either on a part-time or a full-time basis.

When the recession hit, some telecommuters panicked and retreated back to the office for face time. Yet, a good number of workers -- about 70 percent of people in service businesses say they still work remotely at some time, according to Kate Lister, author and telework expert. In the future, more companies will be agreeing to creative telework or virtual arrangements on a trial basis, she says.

If telework is the future, here's a blueprint for success:

BE CREATIVE

Needing more space, Western Union looked for options to expansion. It launched a pilot program in 2008 called iFlex to allow 15 percent of its South Florida workforce to telework up to three days a week. The company crunched the numbers and figured out it saves 3.2 million over five years in real estate costs and other expenses.

``We discovered telework is an excellent solution from a capital standpoint,'' said Sara Baker, human resources director for Western Union. ``We also found from an employee perspective that it not only saves the employee money, but they are more productive, more engaged, and use less sick leave.''

DEVELOP CRITERIA

Tuschman, the lawyer, recommends having a telework policy and making it clear who is eligible to work out of the office. Someone who needs a lot of prodding would not be a good candidate.

Ken Erdberg, a Western Union information technology director, supervises two teleworkers and believes specific management skills are necessary.

``You need to trust your employees and manage by results. A micro manager would not fit well,' he said.

TECHNOLOGY

Russell Correa, a human resources consultant, works remotely from South Florida for a New York firm. He previously worked at Corporate Counseling Associates' main office. Correa uses instant messaging and video chatting for spontaneous conversation with co-workers.

``Sometimes it's not just about work. I'll chat for 10 minutes about things like what mood the boss is in today or other workplace gossip that takes place in physical office that telecommuters lose out on,'' he said.

Correa also finds technology can help manage perceptions, allowing his manager to see him online and view him as being constantly contactable.

METRICS

How do you monitor employees who work from home and judge their performance?

Karen Korner, vice president of marketing at DAS Group in Hollywood, says her ad agency is looking to close two of its offices and make employees work from home, an alternative to layoffs. She wonders how she will ensure they put in their hours and get their work done.

``I am concerned about the guy who will play a nine-hole round of golf on my nickel,'' she said.

Ideally, companies with telework arrangements measure productivity rather than hours. Correa shows his productivity by creating a weekly ``What Russell Is Up To'' report and sending it not only to his manager but to his teammates, too. Correa says the report sent via e-mail on Fridays includes a detailed review of his activities for the week and sets up action steps for the upcoming week.

``It's a nice system of accountability,'' he said.

Nice enough, that his firm hired another teleworker and asked her to create the same type of weekly report.

COMMUNICATION

Once employees start working remotely, good communication becomes critical. There must be a discussion about how a boss and employee will communicate and how often. Correa says he addressed this with a frank conversation with his boss, asking: ``How can I remove the barriers that get in your way of thinking I'm available?''

Jodi Clausen, a teleworker at Western Union, says she communicated more during a management change, conveying her value to her new boss: ``My costs are less because I'm not there everyday and my productivity is just as good.''

Consider expenses and liability: Most companies continue to pay for the basic equipment and services employees need to work at home or on the road. For hourly workers, Epstein Becker attorney Kevin Vance says wage and hour laws apply and software exists to track time.

Cindy Krischer Goodman is CEO of BalanceGal LLC, a provider of news and advice on how to balance work and life. She can be reached at balancegal@gmail.com or read her columns and blogs at http://worklifebalancingact.com.

Comments (8)
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KittKatz wrote on 05/26/2010 11:48:02 AM:
Replying to east89 (05/26/2010 11:02:26 AM):

"They save on utility cost, mainly electricity, water, and paper usage.":You can also save by have people who telecommute share desk space when they are in the office rather than each person having an assigned desk that doesn't get used when they are not there.

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east89 wrote on 05/26/2010 11:06:16 AM:

I loved telecommuting, it was nice to not have to deal with the traffic and sleep in a bit later. It is hard to tune out all of the distractions of being at home while you are working.

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east89 wrote on 05/26/2010 11:02:26 AM:
Replying to avilla (05/26/2010 08:20:22 AM):
"Cindy,
Enjoyed your story and have shared it with others considering telecommuting. One question: How do companies save money by having people work from home just a few days a week?":They save on utility cost, mainly electricity, water, and paper usage.

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avilla wrote on 05/26/2010 08:20:22 AM:
Cindy,
Enjoyed your story and have shared it with others considering telecommuting. One question: How do companies save money by having people work from home just a few days a week
.

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/05/26/v-fullstory/1647958/telecommuting-is-on-the-rise.html#ixzz0s43HJ1Gx

Comment

Telecommuting is a Green activity in that it saves resources. The people who don't have to drive to work, fight the traffic, parking, etc. are saving money, time, and aggravation, which should lead to happier employees. I know a Cisco employee who used to travel 200,000 miles a year all over South America doing business. Now he teleconferences from his Miami office and saves those monies that were previously spent on airfare, hotel rooms, cabs,food, and entertaining. In addition he is happier because he doesn't have to travel as much and can be home with his family. He still makes the rounds once or twice a year to have some face time with his customers to reinforce his relationships with them but the large majority of his travelling has been eliminated. It helps that Cisco is a leader in teleconferencing equipment.

My sister was a paralegal back in the 80's and as she had her two kids and were growing she wanted to be with them. She did real estate closings for an attorney and asked him if she could do the work from home so she could be there to raise her kids. It would have cost him $3000 to put the software on her computer, and let her telecommute. Between the downtown parking fees, the babysitter, and the nice clothes she had to wear every day it was expensive to work in that capacity for the money he was paying. She would work while the kids were napping or sleeping at night, and he would pay her for the completion of each closing, not by the hour. He refused to let her telecommute, and she quit.