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Survey Report: What's Really Happening with Telecommuting, Flextime, Dress

Friday, July 30, 2010 3:00 AM
by Steve Bruce

Category: E-pinions

By Stephen Bruce, PhD, PHR

Just My E-pinion

For years, BLR^® has surveyed compensation and benefits professionals. This year, we have expanded our program with a series of brief, targeted benefits surveys. In today's Advisor, we've got the results of the recent Telemarketing, Flextime, and Dress Code survey. What are other organizations doing in these areas? Read on.

Here's brief summary of key findings; the detailed results appear below.

Telecommuting. Over half (57 percent) of employers offer telecommuting in some form and most of those have offered the benefit for several years (20 percent for 8 or more years!).

As to the benefits of telecommuting programs, 64 percent of those who have a program cite improved morale. Other frequently cites benefits include improved recruiting and retention (41 percent), higher employee productivity (41 percent), and reduced absenteeism (42 percent).

Flextime. Most employers (88 percent) offer at least some form of flextime. Forty-two percent offer at least some flexible hours; 13 percent offer "core flex," that is, a core of required hours, such as 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and 4 percent report offering totally flexible hours.

Dress Down. Sixty-two percent of responding organizations offer weekly dress-down days, and another 24 percent have occasional dress down days.

Here are the detailed results:

Organization allows telecommuting:

	Number	Percent
Yes	696	57%
No	533	43%

Number of years that telecommuting has been offered: <

	Number	Percentage
Less than one year	45	8%
1-2 years	154	26%
3-4 years	173	29%
5-7 years	108	18%
8 years or more	118	20%

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Organization has formal telecommuting guidelines:

	Number	Percent
Yes	258	43%
No	347	57%

Organization requires telecommuting employees to sign a formal agreement:

	Number	Percent
Yes	185	31%
No	412	69%

Telecommuting employees required to maintain a separate work area in their home:

	Number	Percent
Yes	161	27%
No	430	73%

Telecommuting employees required to have childcare:

	Number	Percent
Yes	124	21%
No	462	79%

Allowance provided to employees for telecommuting set-up expenses:

	Number	Percent
Yes	151	26%
No	436	74%

Telecommuting employees reimbursed for monthly expenses such as telephone and internet connections:

	Number	Percent
Yes	263	45%
No	327	55%

Benefits realized by organization from offering telecommuting to employees:

	Number	Percent
Improved employee recruiting and retention	227	41%
Improved employee morale	358	64%
Improved response to disruptions such as storms	194	35%
Higher employee productivity	231	41%
Savings on office space and other resources	176	31%
Reduced employee absenteeism	234	42%
Other	82	15%

Company satisfaction with telecommuting arrangements:

	Number	Percent
Very satisfied	163	28%
Somewhat satisfied	203	35%
Neutral	133	23%
Somewhat dissatisfied	58	10%
Very dissatisfied	25	4%

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Flextime policy for Exempt employees:

	Number	Percent
No flexible schedule	132	12%
Some flexible hours	543	50%
Compressed workweek available	74	7%
Core flex (core required hours + flex hrs.)	212	20%
Totally flexible hours	122	11%

Flextime policy for Nonexempt employees:

	Number	Percent
No flexible schedule	358	34%
Some flexible hours	451	42%
Compressed workweek available	80	8%
Core flex (core req'd hours + flex hrs.)	134	13%
Totally flexible hours	40	4%

Dress Code for Exempt employees:

	Number	Percent
Very relaxed	103	10%
Relaxed and casual	521	49%
Traditional/business attire	435	41%
Strict, suits only	6	1%

Dress Code for Nonexempt employees:

	Number	Percent
Very relaxed	190	18%
Relaxed and casual	530	50%
Traditional/business attire	330	31%
Strict, suits only	6	1%

Dress Code is relaxed during the summer months:

	Exempt Employees		Nonexempt Employees
	Number	Percent	Number	Percent
No	741	70%	726	70%
Yes, applies to all employees	234	22%	231	22%
Yes, for employees with no customer contact	85	8%	85	8%

"Dress Down" days offered:

	Exempt Employees		Nonexempt Employees
	Number	Percent	Number	Percent
No	372	35%	386	37%
Yes, applies to all employees	544	52%	530	51%
Yes, for employees with no customer contact	139	13%	125	12%

Frequency of Dress Down days:

	Number	Percent
Weekly (e.g., on Fridays)	563	62%
Occasionally, such as before holidays	131	14%
As a reward for performance or fund-raising achieved	92	10%
Dress down days not allowed	98	11%
Other	192	21%

Thanks to all who participated in the survey. Next up, a report on our survey of child care and elder care. Comments on today's survey? Suggestions about what we should survey next? Let me know at sbruce@blr.com.

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