According to a recent National Small Business Association survey, 60% of small businesses now allow employees to telecommute. The relevant statistic is on Page 4 of the survey.
Telecommuting offers a number of benefits to both employees and business owners, such as a better work/life balance, less stress, freedom from office interruptions, and reduced office overhead costs. While allowing employees to telecommute could have been considered experimental even a few years ago, in 2013 it’s becoming the norm. In a decade, it will most likely be the default. More and more people say that they would prefer to telecommute, and as more workers become used to it, they’ll likely see the lack of a telecommuting option as a drawback, rather than seeing its inclusion as a perk.
The biggest enabler of telecommuting is increasing home internet speeds. If your employees have fast home internet connections, they can easily stay in touch with colleagues and clients through email, video conferencing, online meetings, and VOIP phone systems. We’ll discuss the best telecommuting technologies in an upcoming article.
By Sharon Campbell
Original Image: DDFic on Flickr