Telecommuting: trends, challenges, and workplace implications

Telecommuting Business Proposal

This proposal outlines the creation of a pilot telecommuting program for XYZ Accounting, an accounting firm based in Los Angeles. The pilot program will involve ten accountants who have been working full-time with the firm for at least two years. In the initial four-month test period, the chosen employees will work for two days at the office and three days at home.

Data from other firms which have adopted similar programs show that telecommuting results in higher worker productivity less absenteeism, and less employee turnover. Furthermore, companies have found that telecommuting can improve recruitment, increase organizational flexibility, boost employee morale and save on overhead expenses. This proposed four-month pilot telecommuting program is expected to generate the same results for XYZ Accounting.

Benefits of telecommuting.

By the year 2004, the Department of Labor estimates that nearly a quarter of the American workforce will use telecommuting. To date, thousands of businesses have instituted telecommuting programs, including Fortune 500 companies, like AT&T, Compaq and IBM (Greer et al.).

In general, these firms saw tremendous benefits from their telecommuting programs. There was an increase in employee productivity, as employees spent less "downtime" (such as sitting in traffic) and were less prone to absenteeism. The work was unaffected by weather disturbances or traffic, and international firms appreciated the employees' ability to work across time zones. The firms also report that telecommuting options were very attractive to new recruits, allowing them to hire and keep the best and brightest employees (Greer et al.).

Telecommuting for XYZ. XYZ is a medium-sized business, with 30 full-time employees and an addition of around 10 seasonal employees during tax time. The ten employees chosen for the telecommuting pilot program will be full-time accountants who have been with XYZ for at least two years and have received consistent positive evaluations.

The telecommuters will work at home for three days a week and come into the office for two days. The office days are important, since some work cannot be done at home and fostering a sense of community among employees is important. However, the scheduled office days will be staggered, so that two employees will be able to use the same office or cubicle on different days.

The first step is hiring a consultant to lay the information technology groundwork to allow for telecommuting. Such services are fairly simple and involve a linking of computer networks from the jobsite to the home.

Following the recommendation of the Journal of Accounting, the CPAs who work at home will be provided with the necessary office equipment. This includes a second phone, voice mail, a computer, a printer, fax machine, desk and chair. To ensure the security of their work, the telecommuters will also be provided with computer firewall software and a secure filing cabinet for documents. Insurance to cover the maintenance, repair or loss of this equipment is optional (Phelan).

Telecommuters will be required to work eight-hour days, similar to their office counterparts. They will be available for telephone consultations with colleagues and clients and will attend meetings via conference calls.

Because telecommuting lends itself to a more flexible work schedule, the human resources department will designate core contact hours, during which the telecommuters must be available for consultations, questions and updates via telephone or e-mail.

Productivity will be assessed based on the number of forms or claims processed per telecommuter, on a daily, weekly, monthly and ultimately, quarterly basis. Their results will be compared to their previous performance as well as to the output of their office-based counterparts. Furthermore, the participants in this pilot program will be interviewed and their assessments and suggestions will be included in the evaluation.

Costs of implementation. There will be initial expenses in implementing this pilot program. When the Rhode Island-based accounting firm of Pirolli, Deller & Conaty began its telecommuting program, the initial cost for a home-based CPA's equipment was under $2,000. Once set-up, the monthly fees for high-speed internet connection, firewall protection and other communication needs was less than $200 (Phelan).