Devoted to WAHMs -Work at Home Moms

Over at the Web Worker Daily, Mike Gunderloy has an excellent piece called Challenging Telework Myths. In it Mike combats some of the common myths that might cause employers to be resistant to letting employees telecommute.

Personally, I believe that these myths will fade as telecommuting becomes more and more accepted in the corporate workplace.

The truth is: telecommuting makes both economic and social sense for a savvy employer.

You might ask how this could be true. Consider the following:

1. Telecommuting is better for the environment. At a time when vehicular exhaust emissions causes environmental problems in many major metropolitan areas, telecommuting significantly reduces the number of vehicles on the road. Also, since most employees do not turn off their heating or air conditioning while they are at work, telecommuting reduces power usage by reducing the amount of office space that must be cooled or heated.
   
   
2. Telecommuting retains the best talent. Many companies routinely allow their employees to telecommute. If your company does not have a telecommuting policy, you may lose some of your most talented employees to a company that already has such a policy in place. Can your business really afford to constantly be training and retraining new employees?
   
   
3. Telecommuting improves relationships between families. Employees who work from home will be able to spend more time with their families. This reduces the amount of absenteeism due to family problems and family-related stress. The reduced amount of family stress can also lead to better overall health for the employee, saving the company even more money.
   
   
4. Telecommuting increases productivity. Most employees state that they get more done at home. Employers may not realize it, but the typical corporate work environment (many cubicles in a large space) is often noisy and full of interruptions. Depending on the type of work that is being done, that noise can dramatically reduce work output.

Here are some additional news reports on the benefits of telecommuting:

1. From MercuryNews.com
   
   
2. From CNN.com

What now? If you're an employer and reading this post, consider rolling out a telecommuting policy for your employees. If you're an employee who would like to telecommute, consider proposing telecommuting to your employer. (Make sure that your proposal emphasizes the benefits to the employer.)

What about you? Do you telecommute? Do you think telecommuters are more productive than office employees? Why, or why not?

Leave a comment and let us know.