Catching Up on Telework

The government is often considered a leader over private industry when it comes to embracing and implementing telework programs and policies. But a new report by the Conference Board suggests that the private sector may be catching up: the proportion of employees who telework has nearly doubled among all full-time U.S. employees over the last decade.

The report, “The Incredible Disappearing Office: Making Telework Work,” which is drawn from recent surveys by the U.S. Census Bureau and private sources, found that employees nationwide are taking more frequent advantage of teleworking, with 84 percent of employees who telework more than once per month now working remotely at least one day per week. In 2008, that portion was 72 percent, the Conference Board found.

The report found that teleworking continues to be highest among jobs that have traditionally been associated with the practice, such as child care workers (9.1 percent), writers and authors (9.3 percent) and sales representatives (10.8 percent). But the largest growth rates in telework fell outside of these traditional roles, with the most dramatic increases seen in computer-related positions and others reliant on remote access to technical systems.

Other jobs that had huge increases in teleworking were records clerks (5.5 percent), insurance underwriters (4.5 percent), lawyers (2 percent), and computer software developers (6.1 percent).

And while all sectors do appear to be catching on to the telework trend, the private sector could still take a lesson from the federal government, the report noted. The 2010 Telework Enhancement Act established a framework for identifying employees eligible to telework, managing telework programs and measuring telework’s return-on-investment. “It offers a model not only for public agencies but also private organizations seeking to implement their own telework programs,” the Conference Board stated in a press release.

Surveys also have found that teleworkers see a number of lifestyle benefits, like more time with family, flexibility to adjust their schedules as needed, as well as improved performance, higher productivity and the ability to focus on work priorities free of distractions from the office.

But teleworkers also noted some drawbacks of teleworking, such as feeling cut off from their colleagues and weakened in their influence on day-to-day decisions and larger strategic plans. Surveys also show that teleworkers lack sufficient administrative support and fear that being away from the office prevents them from being properly rewarded by management. With always-on technology, it also may be difficult for teleworkers to set boundaries between home and work, leading to potential overwork and burnout, the Conference Board found.

“To take full advantage of the opportunities teleworking provides -- while avoiding the many potential pitfalls -- employers and employees must engage in an open dialog that establishes the mutual expectations and responsibilities that come with this new workplace culture,” said Amy Lui Abel, director of human capital research at the Conference Board and a co-author of the report.