Most hoi polloi ’s routines include a commute to their work each weekday , yet many are now select to forgo the driveway for a chance to work from dwelling or an alternating location nigher to abode .
teleworking , or work remotely from a post other than an employer ’s primary business office , is a reality for many Americans [ source : Gordon ] . The number of mass work from dwelling is increasing . grant to theU.S. Census Bureau , about 5.5 million people worked at home in the stop from 2006 to 2008 [ source : U.S. Census Bureau : News ] . An unrelated study showed that 17.2 million Americans describe work from home or remotely at least one daylight a month in 2008 [ source : WorldatWork ] . It is important to note that some of these people might be ego - employ instead of just telecommuting , yet there are certainly many that are take vantage of this alternate body of work arrangement .
Not all line offer telecommuting as an option , but it can have obvious benefit for certain people , companies and even the environment . In this clause , we will explore 10 reasons you might count working outside your employer ’s main location . First , let ’s look at what work advancements have made telecommuting more accessible .
10. Technological Advancements
Technological advancements such as east - mail andvideo conferencinghave open up the worldly concern of telecommuting to many more American English , allow them to work efficiently even when not in the function . " The applied science has allow more people to do more parts of their jobs in more different locations than ever before , " said Gil Gordon , a longtime telecommuting consultant .
Modern tools and employer tech living have made it convenient for employee to delay in touch with their managers and workfellow through phone call , exigent messagingor television conferencing . Customer service representative might be able-bodied to take calls from home or a coffee workshop just as easy as they can from an federal agency . Lawyers can review patent of invention contracts from home using a secure server organisation [ source : Rhodes ] . Even doctors are using applied science to help them diagnose patients remotely [ reservoir : Terdiman , Flynn ] .
Because of the nature of some job , such as retail cashiers or airline buffer , telecommuting might never be an option for them , but for many position , engineering has made this work style a feasible option and sometimes even a preferred way of doing business . " Teleworking is well suit to jobs that are information - base , predictable , portable or that demand a high arcdegree of privacy and concentration , " articulate Marcia G. Rhodes , the spokeswoman for WorldatWork , an international human resources ship’s company .
9. Reduced Time In the Car
technical advancements have made it easier for people to touch base across vast distance , making face - to - face coming together less necessary – or at least less frequently command . If you do n’t have to drive to see your colleagues or sometimes even your customer , you could dramatically melt off your time spend in the automobile , leaving extra fourth dimension for work or personal tasks .
According to a 2003 Bureau of Transportation survey , the average commuter spend about 26 minutes on a one - way slip to work , and a majority of commuter force back their personal vehicle [ reservoir : U.S. Department of Transportation ] . That mean that commuters , on average , spend about 52 minutes or nearly an hr a mean solar day in the car traveling to work and back home . This stand for that the average American spend more than 100 time of day commuting to work each year , longer than the stock two week of vacation given to most employees [ germ : U.S. Census Bureau : Facts & Features ] .
Next we ’ll explore how the lack of commute can extend benefit for the environment .
8. Helps the Environment
If you drive to employment , or even take some public Department of Transportation alternative such as the bus , your commute is lead harmful material into the standard pressure .
fluid sources , such as motorcar and trucks , are the largest contributors to air toxics , some of which have been linked to serious wellness problems , includingcancer[source : U.S. Environmental Protection Agency : Pollutants ] . Also , fomite emissions produce other aura pollutant such as carbon monoxide , nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons . Yet , one of the biggest environmental gist of driving vehicles is the production ofgreenhouse petrol , such as carbon paper dioxide , that are believed to affect climate change [ germ : U.S. Environmental Protection Agency : pollutant ] .
All of these emphasis on the environment can be reduced in some small elbow room by provide your car at home and telecommuting alternatively . In fact , not using your car for just two days a week can cut down greenhouse gasoline emissions by about 1,600 pounds ( 725 kilograms ) per year [ reference : U.S Environmental Protection Agency : Climate ] .
7. Saves You Money
Not commuting to oeuvre helps the environment along with saving youtime , but it can also save you money . While the money that you save will depart bet on your commute , you could calculate your comparative savings easily . Just take the average Leontyne Price per Imperial gallon ofgas , your motorcar ’s average mile per congius and then your daily commute aloofness . For object lesson if you own a 2009 Honda Accord that make about 24 nautical mile per gallon with combine urban center and highway drive , and your average weekly commute is about 50 geographical mile , then you could lay aside about $ 289 a yr on gas alone [ seed : Fueleconomy.gov ] .
Not having to drive your car to work on a daily basis can help you write money in other ways , too . For object lesson , you probably wo n’t have the figure of international nautical mile of wear - and - tear on your railcar . You might also save on parking disbursal . Since you are n’t in the power , you also might not expend as much on habiliment or ironic cleaning . And , instead of going out to corrode , you even might run through lunch more frugally from your own kitchen [ author : Wilsker ] .
6. Boosts Productivity
Many employees feel that they could be more fertile outside of the office – out from distraction such as a gum - popping colleague or the societal aspect of the function . " The one ( reason ) that is most surprising is that employees require to do this ( telecommute ) because they are frustrated by how unmanageable it is to do their piece of work in the office , " Gordon said .
Taking away the distractions can make the great unwashed more productive , but holding employees more accountable for their productivity can also have an effect . Wilsker notice that even though employees may be present in the power in front of their computers , there is no way of know whether they are in reality working . According to a 2005 subject , employee who get at the cyberspace at work reported spend about 3.4 minute per workweek accessing non - work related sites [ source : Websense ] .
Since many telecommuting job do not revolve around the time spent , but instead how much you may produce for the company , it could make employees more efficient with their time . " I find that people are more productive because they are labor - orient , not time - oriented and ( conceive that ) ' I want to get my job done , ' " Wilsker said .
Some company have seen this affect their bottom lines . For lesson , Cisco , a company that deals in networking equipment and connection direction for the Internet , found in a study that it has generated an approximate annual preservation of $ 277 million in productivity by give employees the option to telecommute and telework [ source : Cisco ] .
5. Saves Your Company Money
The voltage for increased employee productivity would a plus for many Because employee who telecommute are not in the part as often as even employee , the company might be able to surmount back its spot distance , which could reduce the company ’s lease expense [ source : Wilsker ] . These small spaces may also hail with low utility bills .
In addition to office space , telecommuters probably do n’t employ as many of the free perk that companies offer in - sign . Many agency offer freecoffee , teaand even snacks for employees in the office . These costs might be able to be reduced because a few phone number of employees would be take reward of them [ source : Wilsker ] .
Finally , telecommuting can often be used as a bargaining chip for employees ' compensation . " We see people who are unforced to go to work for less if they can work from home , " Wilsker said .
gain a fellowship ’s financial situation can have in mind more constancy for the commercial enterprise and for its employee .
4. Relocation and Retention Possible
We ’ve already count at how increase productivity and savings can profit both the society and the individual . But so does the possibility for an employee to relocate while go on his current job .
For model , have ’s say an employee ’s spouse ’s job is transferred to a city across the land . The employee likes work for his current employer , but for family reasons must move to the new location . A ship’s company that offerstelecommutingmight be capable to keep this seasoned and productive employee working for them . This situation proffer welfare for both the employee , who still has a task , along with the employer , who does n’t have to train a raw employee and retains peradventure the best person for the position [ source : Wilsker ] .
On the other hand , however , this also means that employers might be more potential to expect outside of their geographical realm for novel employees . " you may lease and get upright people that more fit what you are looking for if a commute is not an issue , " Wilsker said .
3. Flexibility in Schedule
Along with flexibleness in positioning , telecommutingcan also intend flexibleness with your prison term . " Scheduling dispute related to personal and professional obligation , and not lack of money , is unremarkably the main reason an employee seeks a telework arrangement , " Rhodes say .
tractableness in work schedule can allow an employee to hone in on the best work metre for him and his client . This could intend bulge a little earlier , perhaps the hour you would have spent in the cable car . For those that are break of the day masses , this might be your most productive or creative sentence of the twenty-four hour period . This can also be a welfare for those that have many clients in different fourth dimension zone [ source : Rhodes ] .
A flexible work arrangement could also allow for employees to take advantage of doing errand during off - times when others might be in the situation . Going to the money box at 10 a.m. could save an employee clip andstress . An employee might also do this with practise . If your optimum recitation time is 3 p.m. , you’re able to take a nudge then and mold later to make up for that time [ source : Gordon ] .
2. Work-Life Balance
Along with item-by-item flexibility , atelecommutingposition can help you better balance your occupation with your personal life-time . There is a possibility for less conflict in test to equilibrize the demand of a house with a full - time line of work when telecommuting [ beginning : Gajendran and Harrison ] .
For example , not have to head out of the house for a 30 - minute commute could allow a parent to shake off his child off at school [ informant : Gordon ] . Another possible action is that a parent might be able to check piece of work at 3 p.m. for a snack with his child and then take up work again after the kids have gone to layer .
little benefit might include the ability to perform more place maintenance throughout the day . Utilizing 15 - minute breaks for throwing in a load of laundry or bug out thedishwasherwouldn’t be possible at the office , but it can be done while telecommuting . Also , working from home might allow you to have repair workers , such as plumbers or pest restrainer , at your base on weekdays since someone will be home to let them in .
1. Reduced Stress
Telecommuting can also offer up employees a sense of greater control over their workplace lives than in an part environment . employee still have deadline and goal that need to be met , but telecommuters might not be as micromanaged as those in the office . " They experience more in control , " Rhodes said . " For employee these days it is very authoritative that they feel that they are in control of when and where their body of work gets done , that they have autonomy . "
From reducing stress to helping the environment , the welfare of telecommuting have more and more become capable to more workers . teleworking might not be a in effect fit for everyone , but technology and employer support have started to transfer the way that piece of work can be done . " In this cognition - base economic system , what is important is getting the job done , not when , where or how many hour it took , " Rhodes enounce .
