Telecommuting is increasingly attractive to employees.
A survey by Staples shows that telecommuting is increasingly attractive to employees, with 71% of telecommuters saying it’s an important benefit when considering a new job. And 10% of respondents even say they would take a salary reduction to keep the telecommuting benefit.
Achieving a better work/life balance ranks as the No. 1 reason employees like telecommuting (74%), up from No. 2 last year. Transportation savings (69%) and green benefits (47%) are also cited as top reasons.
Employees also cite reduced stress as a major telecommuting benefit (69%), up significantly from 48% in 2013. In fact, an overwhelming majority (88%) of employees believe telecommuting is a win-win for both them and their company.
And employers agree. Sixty-five percent of employers that allow their workers to telecommute report happier employees, and 33% report less absenteeism in the workforce when telecommuting is allowed.
“When a few companies recently banned telecommuting, it sparked a debate on the benefits of such programs,” says Paul Mullen, vice-president of technology solutions with Staples Advantage, the business-to-business division of Staples. “Our survey clearly shows the benefits. Not only does telecommuting lead to a happier workforce, it’s also a critical benefit to have from a recruiting standpoint.”
There were 137 decision-makers and 174 office workers at organizations of all sizes across Canada and the United States that participated in the survey.
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