Benefits October 25, 2001

Telecommuting Joins the Mainstream

October 25, 2001 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - The number of employees who telecommute in the US increased by almost 17% to 28.8 million over the last year, according to a survey.
Reported by

The annual survey conducted by the International Telework Association and Council and sponsored by AT&T, found that approximately 1 in 5 US employees participates in some form of telecommuting.

  • almost a quarter of the sample telecommute while on the road,
  • a little over one in five log in from home,
  • some  7.5 % work at telecommuting centers,
  • while a further 4.2% work from satellite offices.

Telecommuter Profile

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The typical telecommuter works at least one full day per week away from the traditional office environment, lives in the northeast or western regions of the US, has a college education, is between 35 to 44 years of age and married.

The practice is most often found at either a very small or very large company, with the average telecommuter holding a managerial or sales position and earning $40,000 or more annually. The industries where the practice is most common is within real estate, management of enterprises, and the information industries.

Better Jobs

In addition, of the telecommuters surveyed,

  • over two-thirds expressed increased job satisfaction
  • almost 80% feels a greater commitment to their organization, and
  • almost three-quarters of at-home telecommuters reported an increase in productivity.

Methodology

The survey was conducted between July and September this year and consisted of 1170 telephone interviews.


 

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