Linking to the Teleworker

The chances are fair that you’re reading this article in a home office, or while on the road and in contact with your employer via e-mail or some other electronic means. In fact, these words are being written in a home office.

Having employees work from someplace other than the office is no longer a novelty, or a privilege awarded to top workers. It’s a simple fact of life for thousands of American companies: According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2003 American Community Survey, 4.2 million Americans telecommute most work days, with 20 million telecommuting at least once per month, and 45 million telecommuting at least once each year. And anecdotal evidence indicates that those numbers are growing. In 2005, an estimated 8.9 million telecommuters worked from home three or more days each month during regular business hours, according to IDC Market Research, a Massachusetts-based market research firm.

The explosion is taking place in the public sector as well. According to the General Services Agency’s Office of Personnel Management, the number of teleworkers employed by the federal government doubled to more than 140,000 between 2001 and 2005.

There is obvious worker satisfaction and less down time due to family issues and weather delays. Telecommuters seem more willing to work early and late as necessary, since there is no commute time.

The reasons are simple: In many cases, it’s easier and cheaper to have employees work remotely than ever before. Improved technology keeps workers connected to the office with little down time, and teleworkers have shown that company fears of telecommuting leading to diminished productivity have been mostly unfounded.

Out of the Office

According to Wade Brower, director of sales for Des Moines, Iowa–based voice, data, and IT services provider LightEdge Solutions, there are three general classes of teleworkers, and their technological needs can vary:

The 100-percent work-from-home telecommuter should have a dedicated business phone line, high-speed Internet, fax machine, and a virtual private network (VPN), which allows the user to send secure and encrypted data over public Internet connections to the office network. The payoff for the company is two-fold: It doesn’t pay for space to accommodate these workers, and worker productivity is generally higher without office distractions. Advantages for the employee include no or reduced commute time and travel expenses and more freedom.