Benefits of the "At Home Workforce"

I have made some claims in previous posts about the benefits of Working At Home being good for families, communities, businesses and the environment. I thought it was about time (since it is one of the central premises of this blog) that I expand on it

What are the benefits of work at home employees/contractors/freelancers?

Some of the benefits are for ...

Business

• Access to a larger employee market - Telecomuting allows to select candidates from a wider geographic region and also makes it easier to meet requirements to support people with disabilities.
• Increases attractiveness to highly skilled and educated labour workforce including at home mums.
• Reduced turnover and retention costs (according to Teletrips.com, teleworking improved retention of key employees by as much as 22%)
• Reduced absenteeism (1999 Telework America National Survey)
• Increased morale and employee satisfaction
• Increased productivity
• An Australian study (Sensis, 2005) found that 17 per cent of employers experienced improved productivity
• Improved public relations (reductions in business carbon footprint and employment opportunities for disabled applicants provide good examples of Corporate citizenship)
• Reduced costs (The costs of heating, air-conditioning, car parks, lighting and more)
• Increased competitiveness (decreased overheads, extended hours, flexible recruitment practices, global hiring talent pool)

Environment

• Less cars on the road meaning
• less petrol and other car related products used (ie tires)
• less wear and tear on transport infrastructure
• Reduced traffic congestion
• Reduced need for large office complexes
• Less people in our over crowded cities durig the working week

Families

• Increased family time (it helps families spend more time with each other because there is no commute time)
• Allows for flexibility around family commitments (it allows parents to work around their family commitments with children and household duties)
• Increased quality of life (work/life balance)
• Reduced costs (Savings can be made from not having to spend as much on vehicle fuel and maintenance or public transport, lunches, work clothes and more)
• Improved health (Less stress and avoiding the possibility of sick building syndrome could mean that teleworkers experience improved health).

Communities
* it encourages people too live, work, play and pay (spend and therefore invest) in their local communities
* encourages and supports local business to support at home workers


Papers
* Remote working better for staff and employers - Tom Jowitt (Techworld.com) 23/11/2007 05:10:20
Working from home (or teleworking) is better for workers and bosses, as it boosts morale and job satisfaction, and cuts stress levels, researchers have shown

* Contact Center Costs: The Case for Telecommuting Agents 01-07-2006
In any contact center, labor costs are typically the largest annual expense component, exceeding 60% of total operational costs. This paper looks at how establishing a telecommuting or home agent program can lower costs and be competitive differentiator.

* Sensis Insights Teleworking Report 2005
Overall, the study found an overwhelmingly positive impact for teleworking, both from individuals and businesses. However, on balance, businesses reported even higher levels of satisfaction with teleworking than individuals, with individuals facing some negative consequences, while the business experience had almost no downside. Coupled with the higher performance levels of businesses that teleworked, the case for introducing teleworking in the business environment is particularly strong.

* Telecommuting: The future of work, corporate culture, and American society - Journal of Labor Research, Volume 24, Number 1 / March, 2003

* Telecommuting and Perceived Productivity: An Australian Case Study - Journal of Management and Organisation (Volume 8 Issue 1 - 2002)
Thecase study demonstrated that, overall, telecommuting had been successful and brought benefits to both the employees and the organisation. The results also indicated the presence of strong positive links between the relationship interactions telecommuters had with their supervisors, and the telecommuters' perception both of their own productivity, and their levels of satisfaction with the telecommuting experience.


Additional Sources

• Telework Australia
• Teletrips.com