As Wi-Fi and i-Phones make it easier for Americans to stay connected, telecommuting is becoming a bigger part of the “work place” landscape.

It makes sense—especially in jobs that require little supervision Staff meetings aren’t a problem for telecommuters with Skype, which allows face-to-face interaction, even remotely. Or, you can choose old fashioned teleconferencing to keep employees in touch with your office.

Numerous Benefits

Needless to say, there are many benefits to telecommuting to employees, their employer and to our environment. With fewer cars on the road, the impact on limited natural resources is lessened, and fewer impurities are being spewed into our atmosphere.

And, employee satisfaction extends beyond jobs. Working from home creates a greater connection to families. Happier employees mean a more positive workplace and better interactions with fellow employees.

The two biggest benefits for employers are staff productivity and cost containment.

Addressing Reluctance

The reasons that businesses have for not adopting telecommuting are varied—but generally, it has to do with the inability to monitor employees and a perception that employees will not live up to their responsibilities without supervision.

In fact, I generally recommend that telecommuting employees are extroverts who require interaction rather than an introvert. This helps guarantee that the at-home employee will reach out to stay in contact with your office.

In a 2008 survey of 212 IT Managers report that 67% of the managers report improved productivity and 59% say that they saved money. Other benefits include access to more qualified staff and ability to retain employees.

There may be a need to improve secure access to shared servers and to monitor productivity. But, the benefits far outweigh the initial costs.

As companies look at decreasing overhead costs and improving employee productivity, many will realize that telecommuting is a viable option.

Telecommuters Need HR, Too

If you have staff working from home, your human resources manager knows that federal regulations apply to your telecommuters, just like your in-office. This means extra diligence is required to ensure that your off-campus employees are aware of required standards and rights.

If you don’t have a human resources staff, outsourcing your human resources duties is important to make sure you’re following federal regulations. This will allow you to take full advantage of the benefits of telecommuting, while ensuring you can remain compliant to federal rules without hiring a full-time human resources expert.

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