Work Arrangements: Telecommuting as a Benefit

To be more competitive
in the employment marketplace, growing numbers of California employers are offering
alternative work arrangements to attract and retain high-demand employees.
Because evidence suggests that workers are tired of investing so much time and
energy in commuting to and from their jobs, telecommuting is becoming an
increasingly popular option for employers and employees. This is especially
true here in California,
where commute times are about 10 percent higher than the national average.
Employers may choose to allow employees to telecommute a few days a week, or on
a full-time basis, depending on the industry and the job tasks.

The Upside for
Employees, Employers

Telecommuting offers
many advantages to employees, such as:

• giving them more
control over their schedules

• allowing them to
achieve a workable balance between their business and personal lives

• increasing
productivity

• increasing job
satisfaction

• decreasing stress
levels, which leads to decreased use of sick leave time, “burn-out,” and
attrition

Telecommuting is
advantageous for employers as well, offering benefits such as:

• allowing employers to
meet their diversity goals more easily

• contributing to
employer compliance with government-mandated clean air standards by reducing
the number of vehicles on the road

• saving money by
holding on to more employees— recruiting and training costs involved in
replacing someone can amount to approximately 11/2 times the former employee’s salary

• cutting general
operating costs by reducing expenditures for office space, utilities,
relocation, and attrition

• increasing the
geographic recruiting area

• providing a possible
reasonable accommodation for certain employees

The HR Management & Compliance Report: How To Comply with California Wage & Hour Law, explains everything you need to know to stay in compliance with the state’s complex and ever-changing rules, laws, and regulations in this area. Coverage on bonuses, meal and rest breaks, overtime, alternative workweeks, final paychecks, and more.

Current Trends

The number of employees
who telecommuted at least one day a month increased by more than a million in
the past few years, surveys have shown. Employers offering telecommuting
increased approximately 25 percent in that same time period.

Companies and
organizations of all sizes have turned to allowing employees to telecommute.
AT&T, which started Telecommute America,
the first nationwide program on telecommuting in the United States, is considered a
pioneer in the telecommuting phenomenon. It was one of the first companies to
offer telecommuting as a benefit and has been conducting virtual
employment/telecommuting research since 1992. Over half of AT&T’s employees
regularly telecommute from their homes. Other organizations that actively promote
telecommuting as an employee benefit include Aetna,
Gale Research, Journal Graphics, the federal government, many state
governments, and even small, privately owned companies. Currently, the largest
growth in telecommuting is in medium-sized companies.

The jobs best suited to
telecommuting are those in the technical field, especially in computer
programming and writing. Telecommuting jobs, however, can also be found in many
other areas, such as customer service, research, collections, accounting, journalism,
translation, word processing, marketing and public relations, sales, law, and
social work.

Who Foots the Bill for
Expenses?

A company is most likely
to provide needed equipment to full-time employees moving from an on-site position
to a telecommuting one. In other cases, companies may reimburse the cost of
some expenses, such as materials and travel. Some companies don’t supply or
reimburse for materials, equipment, or anything else, in which case the
employee’s expenses may be tax deductible.

Telecommuting May Be
Right for You

As work travel times
increase, the demands of everyday life overwhelm employees, and employers struggle
to find and hire qualified people, telecommuting has become a viable and
advantageous option for both employers and employees. California employers might therefore want to
follow AT&T’s lead and consider offering telecommuting benefits to help
snag high-demand employees and retain current valued workers.

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