Telecommuting as an Antidote to Stress
As unemployment dips slightly and hiring continues, as reported last week stress continues to be a major factor in those whose jobs were not eliminated during the Great Recession. Low pay continues to draw attention, but so does extensive commuting as some travel further afield to seek meaningful employment. A heavier workload is also a consideration if companies are expecting employees to have greater productivity.
Now Skype a software application for voice calls and calls over the Internet and GigaOm Pro digital telemarketing service, have released a report on the livingworkplace that says companies are becoming increasingly receptive to the idea of telecommuting. The survey found that 62% of all companies have remote workers. That figure rises to 77% for companies larger than 1000 workers.
The study also showed workplace flexibility ranked third behind salary and the quality of the work environment in being important to employees.
Teleworking may make sense for some workers as a way of shortening a commute and creating a better work/life balance. The study suggests the bias against not being physically present in the office is fading as videoconferencing and desk top video are finding increasing acceptance. Email and landlines are fading in importance. And if the study is accurate, perhaps we shouldn’t get too attached to text messaging either.
Tags: desk top video, email, landlines, telecommuting, text messaging, videoconferencing
