Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer's recent decision to ban telecommuting has highlighted the issue of how employers of all sizes respond to technological changes that are redefining the workplace.
In addition to the savings of decreased overheard (in the form of office space, equipment, or otherwise), telecommuting may provide other tangible benefits. Indeed, recent studies suggest that telecommuting may increase employee satisfaction, decrease turnover (and consequently, recruiting and new employee training costs), and decrease absenteeism. It can also reduce an employer's "carbon footprint" by eliminating the energy consumption associated with traveling to the workplace. However, these technological changes also impact how supervisors and subordinates interact, and the human component may lag behind technological advances. A recent MIT study, for instance, found that supervisors often look more favorably upon employees who put in "face time."
From the startup employer to the multinational corporation, the potential to telecommute creates new compliance challenges. For employers that decide not to offer telecommuting, working from home might remain a "reasonable accommodation" under state and federal disability laws that these employers must still consider. Employers offering telecommuting should ensure that their confidential data and intellectual property remain uncompromised. Monitoring the "work time" of telecommuting employees, especially for those paid on an hourly basis, creates its own set of difficulties. These are but a few of the issues that employers will wrestle with in adapting to technological innovation that allows employees to work from anywhere in the world. Proactively maintaining and periodically updating alternative working arrangement or telecommuting policies is essential to realizing the benefits, and avoiding the pitfalls, of the changing workplace.
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