Telework is a growing work option for companies of all sizes and types. Today, more than 23.5 million Americans are employed by a company and are working from home at least part-time. Just 10 years ago, that figure was 11.6 million – and in 1990, there were just 3.4 million teleworkers in the United States. (Telework Advisory Group for WorldatWork, formerly the International Telework Association and Council, http://www.workingfromanywhere.org/) [top]

Most companies report an increase in performance through the initiation of telework from three percent to 25%.

Before implementing telework, it is important for an employer to clearly determine the methods by which it will measure performance. The most common characteristics associated with productivity, whether an employee telecommutes or not, include: 1) work quality; 2) customer satisfaction; 3) meeting deadlines; and, very often, 4) quantity.

Telework will often brings attention to inefficiencies in systems or processes. MITE has grouped these factors into eight categories that take into account the work environment and its effect on employee performance when telecommuting is involved:

In most cases, absolutely. In fact, teamwork can actually be improved and the team can maintain more effective ties when telecommuting is part of the job. The success of the team relies on three factors: 1) accountability, 2) communication and 3) technology.

Telecommuting requires a certain amount of accountability. Teleworkers should be expected to return e-mail, phone calls and text messages on a regular basis and to finish their work on time and in a professional manner. The teleworker should expect the same from their managers. When a team is spread over a distance, accountability is a crucial part of the equation. Each member of the team is now accountable to every other member. If some of these team members were good employees as telecommuters before they were placed in the team, they already fit the profile of a good teammate and can be expected to incorporate those qualities into their work. That is, being a telecommuter, they are in the habit of being accountable and most likely will have no trouble doing their part contributing to the success of the team. When the other members of the team discover this, their motivation to do their part is often increased, thus strengthening the team as a whole.

Communication lies at the very heart of accountability, and it is the key to an efficient and successful telecommuting arrangement. While telecommuting focuses on other types of communication rather than "old-fashioned" face-to-face discussion, it also benefits from regular, effective meetings, especially if there is a team involved. These can be conducted via conference call and can reinforce the employees’ commitment to the success of the team and ensure the team members understand their roles and progress. The group can determine if e-mails are being understood and replied to or if current e-communications are effective.. In short, the team must constantly adapt and evaluate the communication between its members in order to effectively achieve the goals it has established.

Technology increases the ease and effectiveness of communication and telecommuting. From simple telephone calls or ground mail, to videoconferencing and texting, team members should use as many forms of communication technology as possible to do their jobs effectively. Technology cannot ensure productive communication within a group, especially if the group members are not efficient communicators. However, technology does increase the ease and speed with which a group can operate if all the members are on the same page. It also makes telecommuting that much more practical in a team setting. [top]

Recent studies have shown that most telecommuters work for small companies. There are several reasons that smaller companies embrace telework: 1) as a rule of thumb, they are more likely to be willing and able to quickly and effectively implement telecommuting work arrangements; 2) many are striving to become bigger and are looking for ways to reduce the costs associated with new employees while increasing output; and 3) for small companies, changing policy isn't as difficult or time consuming as it may be in larger companies. [top]

Teleworkers are the same as other employees. They can be paid hourly or can be salaried. Typical teleworker jobs that are hourly include medical transcriptionist, secretary, data entry, and customer service representative. Federal law mandates the reporting of hours worked by non-exempt (hourly) staff for both in-house and telecommuting employees. State law varies on definitions of employee rights and entitlements. All hours worked, including regular pay and overtime hours, must be well documented.

It is also important to consider aspects of travel for teleworkers. Hourly employees whose primary office is at home must be paid for the time it takes them to travel to the company's office. The company is not required to pay that employee for mileage, only for their time, and only if the teleworker’s main office is at home. A general rule of thumb is that the primary office is a location where employees work more than 50% of their time.

All factor of employment (including hours worked, overtime compenstation, and travel) should be addressed in the policy agreement between the telecommuter and the employer.  [top]

MITE has found no correlation between telework and lack of career advancement. This question is most often asked because people think that telecommuters are "never around" (the out of sight/out of mind argument). In fact, some telecommuters are in the office more than they are at home. Many teleworkers work remotely just one or two days a week and work in the office the rest of the time. Therefore, they are not easily forgotten. Also, most telecommuters are given the chance to work outside of the office because they show initiative, responsibility and decision making abilities. In the long run, these are qualities that make a person an above-average candidate for promotion. However, there MITE knows of no long term research studies that address this question. [top]

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