Telecommuting interest soars

“When we conduct polls, the responses we get are, ‘We don’t know how to manage someone we can’t see,’” Stanley said. “In the technology piece, they are developing things that enable us to stay connected to coworkers and managers but also to collaborate like Webex, Go to Meeting, Live Meeting. I work in Scottsdale, and I can collaborate with a coworker in Seattle on a single document that we can both see and work on.”

Among the benefits to employers who embrace telecommuting as either a full-time or part-time option for employees are a wider geographic base of potential talent and the ability to retain valuable employees if they need to move or to work at home for quality-of-life reasons, Stanley said.

High gas prices make telecommuting more attractive to employees, but that doesn’t necessarily motivate employers, Stanley said.

“Honestly, from a business perspective, gas prices are not as much a factor,” Stanley said. “That doesn’t mean that senior management isn’t concerned and doesn’t see that as a definite problem. But they still run their businesses, and what they are going to react to is when it starts to affect their turnover and ability to attract employees. They won’t necessarily implement something unless they see it as a win for both.”