President’s Corner
TelCoa thanks U.S. Representatives Jim Himes, Rosa DeLauro, and Elizabeth Esty for introducing the Multi-State Worker Tax Fairness Act, H.R. 4085, 113th Congress. We strongly support this crucial legislation. The bill would finally eliminate the telecommuter tax, a steep penalty often resulting in double taxation of income that interstate telecommuters earn at home. The telecommuter tax unfairly burdens telecommuters and their employers and limits telework adoption. Congress must make the Multi-State Worker Tax Fairness Act law! TelCoa and other advocates are working to secure the bill’s enactment, but we need your help! >>> Read More...
Guest Columnist
4 Great Examples of Telework’s Impact by: Brie Weiler Reynolds As champions of telecommuting and flexible work options for all, we certainly don’t have to tell TelCoa readers about the benefits of telework--we all know and love them. But as organizations like ours work to spread awareness of, and support for, flexible ways of working, it’s really important to remember the individuals for whom we work--the millions of professionals whose lives would be positively impacted by more access to telework and flexible jobs. At 1 Million for Work Flexibility, we hear daily from supporters about why they support the expansion of flexible work options for all. Here are four great examples of why work flexibility, including telework, is vitally important to individuals, to companies, and to society. >>> Read the entire blog at...
Hot Topics & Links
"Working from home not for everyone, but it can still be a 'win-win' for many workers and employers" is an article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer featuring TelCoa President Chuck Wilsker and Advisory Board member Diane Stegmeier. For the complete article, > click-here... -------------------------

Telework Facts & Stats

 

Many of these Facts & Stats came from our old site.

We think they are interesting and show both how things have changed and yet remain the same.

More to come!

 

British Telecom, which has 80,000 employees, found productivity rose 31 per cent among its 9,000 teleworkers, due to lack of disruptions, stress and commuting time.

 

Telecommuting can also save recruitment and training costs because it builds loyalty. The “old” AT&T found two-thirds of workers offered jobs by competitors remained with the company, citing telework as a major factor in their decision.

 

The number of employed Americans who performed any kind of work from home, with a frequency range from as little as 1 day a year to full time, grew from 41.3 million in 2003 to 44.4 million in 2004, a 7.5% growth rate.

2004 American Interactive Consumer Survey conducted by The Dieringer Research Group

 

Teleworkers who worked at home during business hours at least one day per month increased in the past year from 23.5 million to 24.1 million, a 2.6% increase.  Of that 24.1 million, 16.5 million are self employed, a 4.4% increase over 2003. This 24.1 million represents 18.3 percent of employed adult Americans, nearly one-fifth of the workforce.

2004 American Interactive Consumer Survey conducted by The Dieringer Research Group

 

In 2003 there were 4.4 million teleworkers working at home with broadband. By 2004 the number soared to 8.1 million, an 84% increase.

2004 American Interactive Consumer Survey conducted by The Dieringer Research Group

 

According to a compensation survey of 1,400 CFOs conducted by Robert Half International, 46% said telecommuting is second only to salary as the best way to attract top talent. However, 33% said telecommuting was the top draw. CFOs were asked, “In your opinion, which one of the following incentives is most effective in attracting top accounting candidates?” Their responses:

* Offering higher starting salaries than competitors – 46%

* Allowing telecommuting and/or flexible work schedules – 33%

* Offering signing bonuses – 5%

* Offering extra vacation days – 3%

* Benefits/benefit package/insurance – 2%

* Other – 3%

* Don’t know/no answer – 8%

 

According to NORTEL, the cost to relocate an employee to another city can run as high as $100,000.  It can cost $2,500 just to move an employee from one cube to another.

 

More from NORTEL, the entire cost to outfit and equip an employee to telework is made up in the first year if only 3.5 days away from work can be saved, i.e. time lost due to a doctor’s appointment, ill child, employee illness, other personal situation that requires time away from an office. That number drops to 1.5 days in subsequent years.

 

The more than 100 MDOT (Maryland Department of Transportation) employees who telework represent a 27% increase in productivity in teleworking employees.

 

The bottom line, thanks to teleworking, according to Dow Chemical: Administrative costs have dropped 50% annually (15% of which was attributed to commercial real estate costs.) Productivity increased by 32.5% (10% through decreased absenteeism, 16% by working at home and 6.5% by avoiding the commute.)

 

CCH Inc., an Illinois-based human resource consultant, estimates that businesses lose $789 in payroll per employee per year because of emergency time off. That means employers with as few as 20 employees lose nearly $16,000 per year, while large employers with more than 2,000 workers suffer losses in excess of $1.5 million. And those figures don’t take into account the cost of lost productivity or the overtime pay needed to pay others to pick up the slack.

 

There were 4 million teleworkers in the US in 1995.

FIND/SVP

 

The number of teleworkers in the US increased from 19.6 MM in 1999 to 23.6MM in 2000 to 28.8 in 2001.

Source, ITAC

 

39% of US workers would like to telework, but only 31% feel their employers will let them.

U. of Connecticut Study

 

17% or the workers in Finland telework.

Eustats

 

JD Edwards teleworkers are from 20 to 25% more productive than their office workers.

Chicago Sun Times, 10/99

 

A 40 minute commute equates to 8 working weeks per year.

Colorado Telework Coalition

 

20% of teleworkers are supervised from out of state.

ITAC, 2000

 

Office space for the average worker costs $10,000 per year.

 

Telework can cut corporate real estate costs from 25 to 90%.

PC World

 

The manager/staff ratio in a virtual organization is 1:40.  It’s 1:4 in a traditional office.

Ft. Lauderdale Sentinel

 

American Express teleworkers produce 43% more business than their office workers.

Colorado Telework Coalition

 

63% of absentee related costs can be saved per teleworker.

American Management Association

 

Compaq teleworkers are from 15-45% more productive.

Colorado Telework Coalition

 

IBM reduced real estate costs in the US by from 40-60%.

Telecommuting Review

 

More than 65 % of teleworkers are employed by companies with fewer than 100 employees.

IDC/LINKFLASH

 

Approximately 22% of teleworkers are employed by companies with more than 1000 employees.

IDC/LINKFLASH

 

53% of teleworkers say the ability to work at home is important to their employment choice.

ITAC, 1999

 

65% of home teleworkers are males vs. 44% of non-teleworkers.

ITAC, 2000

 

The average commute of a teleworker when not teleworking is 18 miles.

ITAC, 1999

 

Teleworkers save an average 53 minutes of commuting each day they don’t drive to work.

ITAC, 1999

 

Employers can save 63% of absenteeism costs per teleworker per year.

ITAC, 1999

 

Teleworkers typically work 1-2 days per week (5.5days/month) from home.

ITAC 1999

 

The potential US employer annual savings through telework from reduced absenteeism, recruiting costs, and from increased productivity could be as high as $441 billion.

ITAC, 1999

 

67% of teleworkers are married or from couple households.

ITAC, 1999

 

40% of teleworkers can schedule multiple personal tasks and errands on the same day that they work from home.

ITAC, 1999

 

26% of teleworkers work before or after hours so they can meet personal tasks and errands.

ITAC, 1999

 

Commuters, when adding errands to the commute, drive 7.9 additional miles.

ITAC, 1999

 

US Regions w/highest per capita densities of teleworkers are  New England,  Mountain & Pacific.

ITAC, 2000

 

33% of Canadians would prefer to telework over a 10% wage increase.

Ekos Research

 

Fewer than 1% of telecommuters want to stop once they have started to telecommute.

Nortel Networks

 

Industry Canada reports productivity gains of up to 50% by teleworkers.

Trade-Marks Branch

 

Unisys Outsourcing, with 100% of employees teleworking, reduced office space by 90%, saving $1 million annually.

MWCOG, 1999

 

Teleworkers work 39% from a spare bedroom, followed by 10.5% from the dining room.

ITAC, 2000

 

Of home-based teleworkers, 38% desired more home teleworking.

ITAC, 2000

 

43% of Canadians would change jobs to an employer allowing telework.

Ekos Research

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