Telecommuting is good for people & the places they work

A recent (late 2007) study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology that shows clear facts about the benefits of telecommuting. Pennsylvania State University conducted an extensive review of 46 studies on the subject featuring 12,883 employees.

They found that telecommuting helps staff and employers in the following ways:

1. Telecommuters feel more in control of their time and environment.
2. Increased work-life balance that allos more time for family roles.
3. Better supervisor-staff relationships. This one may be surprising to some - Supervisors who have less opportunity may contact them more and have longer and better quality conversations. Staff that works from home may also seek the supervisor out to update him or her regularly.
4. Less stress and more job satisfaction. Nixing the commute and ditching the culture and politics of the regular office world makes workers happier.
5. Increased loyalty and employee retention. Being happier makes employees more loyal.
6. Increased productivity. Because employees are more loyal, they want to do a good job.


Read more about the study on telecommuting here.