Telecommuting
Contents
Introduction
Telecommuting is the practice of working for a government, corporation or business from home using communications devices such as computers, fax machines, networks and modems. Telecommuting is growing at a rate of 15% annually (according to a 1996 source) and, as telecommunications hardware/software develop and the economy becomes increasingly more digital, may even increase at a higher rate. Reasons for telecommuting's popularity include: increased production, more flexibility in the workplace, decreased sick leave, decreased turnover, reduced office space needs, increased organizational skills, and less pollution and traffic congestion from people driving to work. Most telecommuters work at home 1-3 days a week, work on specific projects, and many require very little in expenses. Though telecommuting is not for everyone, many businesses and organizations can create telecommuting programs that increase productivity, flexibility, and improve the bottom line.
Telecommuting programs allow employees to work at home (or at a neighborhood telework office) rather than commuting daily to a more distant work site. These programs can result in significant reductions in rush-hour traffic congestion, vehicle emissions and fuel consumption. One study (cited on the EPA web site) estimated that $23 billion could be saved in transportation, environmental, and energy costs if there were a 10 to 20 percent increase in telecommuting.
To read more on this subject, see these Selected MRSC Library Holdings on Telecommuting.
Policies
- Issaquah, WA telecommuting policy (
460kb)
- King County, WA Telecommuting Policy
- Portland, OR Telework Guidelines, revised, 1996
- Public Sector Telework Sample Policies and Agreements, University of Southern Florida
- Kitsap County Telecommuting Policy Guide
Telecommuting for Reduced Traffic Congestion and Pollution Emissions
- WSDOT telework case studies
- Telecommuting, EPA Webpage Overview
- Telework: Using Telecommunications to Substitute for Physical Travel, Victoria Transportation Policy Institute
- Telework & Flextime: Progressive Options, Montgomery County, MD
Links
The following sites below contain general information, statistics, and policy guides to telecommuting.
- Interagency Telework Site - U.S. Office of Personnel Management, General Services Administration - includes telework manual, government documents and reports, information for telecommute coordinators including sample agreement
- Telecommuting, Teleworking, and Alternative Officing - Gil Gordon, president of Gil Gordon Associates, a top national telework expert, provides up-to-date telework resource information, including a monthly on-line newsletter, Telecommuting Review
- The Telecommuting Zone - Arizona - based on a program in Maricopa County that has a goal of 20 percent of employees actively participating
- Oregon Department of Energy Case Studies: Successful Telework Programs
- Oregon Department of Energy Telework/Telecommuting - Materials and links to telecommuting in Oregon
- Canadian Telework Association - Detailed page providing information on telecommuting in Canada
- Claremont Graduate University Telecommute Agreement
- Telecommuting - The Quiet Success - A study from the Reason Foundation
Related Resources